Most traditional-calendar public schools open their doors to students starting this morning. In Wake County, all will be on its extensive transportation system.
Last year was, by most anyone’s standards, a disaster for the bus system in Wake County. Hundreds of students were late for school, stranded at the wrong bus stop, or simply not picked up. It came about because buses were removed from routes to save money when implementing a choice-based student assignment plan.
The problems were cited as a reason for Wake Schools Superintendent Tony Tata’s firing. He is now North Carolina’s Secretary of Transportation.
This year, Wake schools administrators say things will be better. Two million dollars has been pumped into the system, including a website parents can use to track delays. Some bus rides will still be long, however – an hour and half one-way for some students.
Wake is the largest school district in the state with about 150,000 students.