I-85 collapse: Atlanta schools change bus and dropoff schedules

Smith ES, Sutton MS, & North Atlanta HS) report to their bus stops 15 minutes early beginning Monday so that buses have additional time to ensure an on-time drop-off.

For parents who drop off their children in the mornings within the North Atlanta cluster and at Morningside Elementary School, we will be opening the school doors 15 minutes earlier than normal in hopes of reducing congestion around schools. For the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year:

• Elementary school doors will open at 7:15 a.m. with a start time of 8 a.m.

• North Atlanta High School doors will open at 8 a.m. with a start time of 8:45 a.m.

• Sutton Middle School doors will open at 8:30 a.m. with a start time of 9:15 a.m.

For your information, the district is also making the following additional adjustments:

• Atlanta Public Schools is creating a temporary bus compound at North Atlanta High

School in order to park buses serving neighborhoods on the north side of the city.

• Atlanta Public Schools Police Department is working in partnership with the Atlanta

Police Department to provide increased traffic support around schools and

neighborhoods with anticipated traffic concerns.

• In an abundance of caution, the district is stocking all of the impacted buses with

bottled water in the event that students are stuck in traffic for extended periods of time.

The district will be closely monitoring the situation next week and will make adjustments to the

plan as required. We do expect that bus routes will likely be delayed, and we appreciate your

patience as we work diligently to respond to the traffic pressures associated with this

unforeseen interstate closure.