HOUSTON – The first week of school for Houston Independent School District is in the books, but the district’s new bus hub system for magnet schools received low grades from parents.
Students and parents were frustrated after buses arrived late or not at all causing some students to show up late for class all week.
Another concern, students were on bus routes for more than an hour and a half.
All week the district acknowledges there were challenges with the new program and Friday afternoon announced there will be changes starting next Tuesday after the holiday weekend.
“In addition to scheduling changes, the Transportation Services department also is expanding the magnet hub program with the addition of two new hub locations, continuing to assign students to routes, and ramping up bus driver recruitment efforts to prevent driver shortages,” said HISD in a statement Friday afternoon.
They will add two new locations, Parker and Kate Bell Elementary Schools to the list of 46 hubs across the district.
They are also looking for more drivers.
“Additionally, Transportation Services is ramping up recruitment efforts to ensure all routes are fully staffed and drivers are available for newly created routes and coverage if employees are absent. Those efforts, which began this summer, will continue next week with a bus driver job fair at the Northwest Terminal on Wednesday,” explained the district in a statement.
Parents should start receiving new details about their student’s rounds starting on Sept. 1, which are expected to go into effect on Tuesday, Sept. 4.
The two new hubs will open Sept. 11.