This week’s frigid temperatures in Georgia exposed challenges for some of metro Atlanta’s school districts.
In DeKalb County, the state’s third-largest school district, about 50 of its operating buses had doors that were frozen shut or wouldn’t start. Mechanics spent Wednesday morning spraying de-icer on locks and door jambs and jump-starting dead batteries. But in the end, 90% of students made it to school on time, which district officials said is the average on a typical day.
“A lot of our drivers look at these students like they’re their own kids,” Bernando Brown, the district’s director of student transportation, said of the dedication of their drivers.
Officials in several districts encouraged families to download apps that provide updates for school bus arrivals to avoid another challenge on wintry days: children waiting too long in the cold. In DeKalb, for example, although 55,000 students ride the bus, only about 9,000 families have signed up for the school bus tracker via Edulog.
“We’re hoping to get that number increased,” said Brown.
Holly Allen, whose son goes to Stone Mountain High School in DeKalb, kept her son home Wednesday “for his health.”
“He’s tired of waiting out there in the cold weather” for the bus, she said.
The family wasn’t aware of the district’s bus tracking app, which can tell them where the bus is at any given time.
Other metro Atlanta school districts also encouraged families to download similar apps.
“The Here Comes the Bus app allows you to track your student’s bus in real-time, so your student can remain indoors until the bus draws near,” the Cobb County School District stated.
Beyond obstacles with transportation, at least one DeKalb school dealt with heating problems this week. Jolly Elementary School in Clarkston reported problems in the cafeteria and two classrooms. Operations staff repaired the boiler in the cafeteria Thursday, a district spokesperson said, and put portable heaters in the two classrooms until the heat is fully restored.
Track your child’s bus in metro Atlanta with these apps
- Atlanta Public Schools: Here Comes the Bus
- Clayton County School District: Edulog Parent Portal
- Cobb County School District: Here Comes the Bus
- DeKalb County School District: Edulog Parent Portal
- Fulton County School District: Here Comes the Bus
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