HCPSSSuperintendent Transportation Update, Sept. 8, 2023
September 8th, 2023
The following is adapted from a message sent by HCPSS Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano to HCPSS staff, students and families on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023:
I am grateful for the efforts of so many staff members to do everything possible to overcome this tremendous challenge. Additionally, many parents/guardians, family members and neighbors are working together to help overcome the transportation problems and get students to school. I continue to be very pleased with our 95%-96% daily attendance rate. Thank you, staff and families, for all you continue to do.
Enhanced Communication
Yesterday, parents and guardians of students who are served by Zum Services were provided access and instructions to download the Zum mobile application and track their child’s bus in real time. This gives families much more precision on the status of their child’s bus. More information and answers to frequently asked questions are provided online. All families served by Zum Services will have access to the mobile app to track the status of their child’s bus.
Effective Monday, Sept. 11, delays no longer will be posted to the HCPSS website. Instead, in addition to applicable families being alerted to delays through the Zum app:
- Significant delays (more than 15 minutes) for non-Zum buses will be texted to impacted parents/guardians.
- All one-time or daily bus cancellations will be texted to parents/guardians at impacted schools and posted online. Additionally, long-term bus suspensions will continue to be posted online and shared directly with impacted families.
- Buses replacing another will have the original bus number posted in the window.
Please note that delay or cancellation text messages are sent to the entire school community and not just parents/guardians of the impacted bus to ensure that additional text subscribers, including caregivers, daycare facilities, before and after school programs, etc, are aware of the issue. We have also requested that all transportation contractors share the reason for the delay so we can provide greater detail and understanding to families.
As text messaging is being used more frequently, all parents/guardians can ensure they have opted in to receiving messages by texting the word “YES” to 67587 from the cell phone number on file in HCPSS Connect.
Staff is conducting an in-depth analysis of GPS data being collected during bus runs so we may implement an informed solution that will get more of our buses to school in the morning and more of our students home in the afternoon on time.
Thank you to all students, families, and staff for your continued patience and efforts to provide our students with an extraordinary learning experience when they are in school.