School Bus Delays Expected, New Alert System Unveiled As AACPS Prepares For Classes

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD - Anne Arundel County residents have a new way to track which school buses are having disruptions when classes resume next week. This is the latest transportation update as the county recovers from a bus driver shortage.

The new notification system will send emails and texts when bus routes are delayed or canceled. The messages will come in English or Spanish. Anybody can sign up for these alerts, and users can select multiple routes of interest.

Messages will go out at 7:30 p.m. and list bus disruptions for the next school day. Notifications will also go out from 6 a.m. through 8:45 a.m. each school day as bus contractors log new updates.

Users will get one message per disruption and an additional alert if there is a change to that bus's status. Another notification will go out at 12:30 p.m. each school day with reminders on the afternoon-only bus issues.

The sign-up is posted at aacps.org/busnotifications. Anne Arundel County Public Schools will still list all the disruptions at aacps.org/buses.

“This new system is a win not just for our families, but for our larger community,” AACPS Superintendent Mark Bedell said in a Friday press release announcing the news. “Last year, notifications were sent only to families of students in our schools but this platform allows people such as day-care providers to be apprised of interruptions to bus schedules that will impact their lives as well. I am proud of the work our team has done to continue to enhance the ways in which we communicate.”

Related:

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• Bus Driver Shortage Improving: All AACPS Routes Will Be Staffed This Year

Bus Driver Shortage

AACPS has battled a bus driver shortage since the pandemic. 

The school system recently filled its last driver vacancy. As of Friday, there is a driver assigned to all 645 AACPS bus routes.

There is still a shortage of substitute bus drivers, however. This means there will still be bus delays when drivers call out sick or are absent.

“We are in a far better position at the start of this school year than we were a year ago but there are, unfortunately, still going to be interruptions,” Bedell said in the release. “We will do everything we can to minimize those and to inform families and the community when they occur, but we will all need to exercise patience throughout the year.”

Back To School

AACPS students start class the week of Monday, Aug. 28. The first day varies by grade. The school calendar is viewable at this link.

School supply lists are posted at aacps.org/schoolsupplies.

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