CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – News4JAX has been hearing from parents about school buses being late in Clay County.
One parent said the buses have been late for several years. She recalled an instance where her daughter was late for a major college entrance exam.
“She was tardy due to the fact that the bus did not arrive on time,” the parent said. “My husband had to leave work to provide transportation just so she could make the test.”
She said the principal is aware of the problem and addresses her daughter’s tardies with the attendance office, but she is still frustrated.
“It’s negligence, and as far as safety concerns, [the children] are at the bus stop prior to day break,” she said.
Parents are notified when the bus is running late, but she said it doesn’t help because her daughter will be late.
“My child’s first-period class is required for graduation,” she said. “She would have to make up work and stay on top of the assignments.”
The parent said five other students wait at that bus stop and they suffer too.
Clay County District Schools gave a statement on the matter.
Recognizing nationwide transportation challenges, Clay County District Schools has implemented proactive measures to support students affected by late buses. The district’s established protocol ensures students are not marked tardy when buses are delayed, and they are provided opportunities to make up missed assignments and exams. In the recent SAT incident impacting the student in question, the school principal created a special testing session to ensure all students had equal access to the exam.
Clay County District Schools
Some parents left comments on the News4JAX Facebook page.
“This has been a huge issue for the current and last school year. I spoke with an area manager at the beginning of this school year and was assured it wouldn’t be an issue going forward due to all positions being filled,” she said.
“My elementary children bus seems to always be doubled up. Which is just a fancy way of saying they cram as many kids on the bus as possible,” another parent said.
Parents, are your children’s buses consistently late? If so, how does the school accommodate your children? Are they still marked tardy, or allowed to make up for missed tests? Let us know by filling out the form below.