School system drives home new school-bus routes

Some Watauga County schools’ bus routes will be reduced beginning the second week of January due to declining student ridership.

“We are continuing to review our options and have not made all the decisions, but several schools will be affected by the changes,” said Watauga County Schools transportation director Toni Weaver Floyd.

Students on routes affected by the change will be notified by their bus driver and will be given a written notice of the change to take home to parents.

The notices will be provided during the first week of school after the holidays.

The “AlertNow” automated phone messaging system will be used to notify parents at effected schools to watch for notice of the changes.

When ridership declines, bus routes have to be reduced to control costs and maintain system efficiency, a spokesperson for the schools said. In addition, the state’s funding for school transportation has been reduced, along with other state education funding.

The Watauga County Schools had to return $177,414 in state funds last month due to the state budget shortfall, and the state also reduced the allocation to the school system’s transportation department by $45,000.