ROANOKE, Va. – School is back in session, and Roanoke City parents are expressing frustration after seeing some bus issues the first couple of days.
This year marks the start of the new staggered bell schedule.
“It’s going to be chaotic, insane, for everybody, and that as parents we have to have patience with that,” Roanoke City Public Schools parent Krystal DeHaven said. “Totally understand that.”
DeHaven said her two kids weren’t picked up till after class started on Tuesday, and in the afternoon the bus took so long to come she had to go pick her kids up.
“I know my anxiety was through the roof, and I was able to go pick them up eventually,” DeHaven said.
DeHaven said she wants more communication when there are delays from school leaders after being kept waiting around and constantly checking the bus location on the app.
Meanwhile, school leaders in a board meeting last night said delays are just first-week challenges.
“This is not a Durham transportation issue, they had their drivers, they ran their routes, this is just a going back to school,” Chief Operations Officer Chris Perkins said.
Perkins said they’re taking steps to remedy any issues. Traffic control is one area they hope to improve on.
“We’ve talked with the police department, they were late getting to Brandon and Grandin to help us with the traffic control there, they will do that again tomorrow,” Perkins said. “We talked with the principal, her traffic control measures will be in place and not depend on the police department to handle those things.”