About 40 school bus routes to be partially restored amid driver shortage in Anne Arundel County

BALTIMORE -- Anne Arundel County Schools have been hurt with bus driver shortages.

However, the district announced Tuesday that about 40 bus routes will get partial restoration beginning Monday, Oct. 17.

Superintendent Mark Bedell announced a plan that would get more buses back on track.

Bedell said about 40 schools buses will be extending routes for high school or middle school, so they will be in service for other schools in the mornings and afternoons.

Those buses will provide either morning service to middle school students or afternoon service to elementary school students.

"I fully realize this is not the total solution that our families—and we—want," Bedell said. "However, this will relieve at least some of the pressure on families who currently have to find ways to get their students both to and from school as we continue to work on other solutions."

Specific routes are being identified through a variety of factors that include the use of an equity lens aimed at identifying and eliminating negative barriers, whether an additional run will result in students getting to school on time or nearly on time, the volume of students expected to ride a bus, and the existing impact on a school that would be served by such an additional run.

Families will be notified of the final selection of routes.

As part of his announcement, Bedell also said the school system will look at changing route service to schools at the semester break to provide buses to students who may be without them for the first semester.

Bedell told the Board that the process of identifying the 40 routes has also resulted in service being restored to five routes that had previously been out of service.

Additionally, the school system is in the process of executing emergency procurements that will allow for additional passenger vans to be used to transport students. Such vans do not require drivers to have CDL licenses, as school buses do, but the hope is that drivers of these vans may be encouraged to pursue a CDL license.

Beginning Monday, October 17, the following routes will be operating:

Full service routes (morning and afternoon)

• Chesapeake Bay Middle School Bus 294 (to be run by Bus 283)
• Northeast Middle School Bus 242 (to be run by Bus 90)
• Old Mill High School Bus 4 (to be run by Bus 7 and Bus 349)
• Old Mill Middle School South Bus 183 (to be run by Bus 4, Bus 378, Bus 489, and Bus 657)
• Shady Side Elementary School Bus 297 (to be run by Bus 37 and Bus 293)
• South Shore Elementary School Bus 490 (to be run by Bus 378)
• Tracey's Elementary School Bus 641 (to be run by Bus 41)

Morning only routes

• Broadneck High School Bus 303 (to be run by Bus 231)
• Central Middle School Bus 117 (to be run by Bus 144)
• Meade Middle School Bus 333 (to be run by Bus 616)
• Old Mill Middle School North Bus 110 (to be run by Bus 345)
• Old Mill Middle School South Bus 25 (to be run by Bus 491)
• Severn River Middle School Bus 387 (to be run by Bus 611)

Afternoon only routes

• Broadneck High School Bus 238 (to be run by Bus 187)
• Broadneck High School Bus 426 (to be run by Bus 337)
• Folger McKinsey Elementary School Bus 124 (to be run by Bus 7)
• Freetown Elementary School Bus 442 (to be run by Bus 147)
• Germantown Elementary School Bus 42 (to be run by Bus 467)
• Hebron-Harman Elementary School Bus 374 (to be run by Bus 43)
• Jessup Elementary School Bus 333 (to be run by Bus 616)
• Mayo Elementary School Bus 117 (to be run by Bus 144)
• North County High School Bus 145 (to be run by Bus 125)
• North County High School Bus 291 (to be run by Bus 203)
• North County High School Bus 413 (to be run by Bus 147)
• Ridgeway Elementary School Bus 110 (to be run by Bus 491)
• Seven Oaks Elementary School Bus 372 (to be run by Bus 102)
• Severn Elementary School Bus 230 (to be run by Bus 102)
• Severn Elementary School Bus 446 (to be run by Bus 621)
• South River High School Bus 117 (to be run by Bus 415)
• Sunset Elementary School Bus 331 (to be run by Bus 284)
• Windsor Farm Elementary School Bus 387 (to be run by Bus 611)