Wake County Schools

Wake schools cut bus stops, routes

Wake County students will walk further to bus stops this school year as the Wake County Public Schools System cut school bus routes and stops to improve the efficiency of its transportation system, the district announced Monday.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Wake County students will walk further to bus stops this traditional school year as the Wake County Public Schools System cuts school bus routes and stops to improve the efficiency of its transportation system, the district announced Monday.

School busses will travel 116 fewer routes and make 4,000 fewer stops than last school year, said the district, which also outlined maximum walking distances to bus stops:

  • Three-tenths of a mile for elementary students
  • Half a mile for middle and high school students

With 21,000 stops, most students will not be affected, officials said. 

"It is going to affect some families, but the stops are pretty much in the same place," said Bill Poston, Wake schools spokesperson.

Parents can visit the district’s bus routes page for more information.

The cuts come as the district expects 3,000 more students and has a need for more bus drivers.

"Even through we're gaining students, we're making do with less," Superintendent Jim Merrill said.

Other changes to the district’s transportation plan include:

  • Some express stops for application and magnet schools have been relocated to community centers and other schools.
  • Families who want their children dropped off at a before or after school provider, or students not eligible for transportation, can now apply for school bus service. The district will review requests 30 days after the first day of school and may adjust routes to serve those students.

“The changes mean the transportation department can use the same number of buses and drivers to serve the thousands of additional students who enrolled in school this year,” the district said in a statement. “They were able to provide this service despite further state cuts to the school system transportation budget.”

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