Community Corner

APS Releases New Bus Schedules After Parent Outcry

Check the new bus schedules for Atlanta Public Schools.

Atlanta Public Schools has changed its bus and drop-off schedules in response to an outcry from several parents, especially those in the Buckhead area.

Now, elementary students will be dropped off around 7:20 a.m., instead of the 6:55-7:10 a.m. drop-off period. The initial bus schedule would mean students would be at school nearly an hour before class began.

An APS spokeswoman said the initial drop-off times were intended to give students adequate time to eat breakfast and get to their classrooms. However, the new schedule allows enough time for breakfast and early morning preparation as well.

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Some parents were concerned that their children would be unsupervised for 20 or more minutes each morning since teachers weren’t scheduled to arrive until 7:30 a.m. Some schools were making plans to implement “volunteer teachers” to fill in during the unsupervised period.

The APS Department of Transportation released the following statement:

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Parents,

With the start of each school year, Atlanta Public Schools continually seeks opportunities to improve our Day One process.  Our new bell schedule allows for equitable, on-time arrival of all students in the district.  This schedule is expected to increase breakfast participation, shorten ride times for special needs students and improve student safety.  Consistent arrival times directly impact student achievement; in order to accomplish these goals without changing the bus schedules, the district would have been required to add 50 buses and drivers.  While elementary school start times did not change, some students may experience earlier bus pick-up times in order to maintain our district wide transportation schedule.

Get more information about the first day of school, bus schedules and transportation changes here on the APS Department of Transportation website.

 


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