Prince George’s County Public Schools said on Sunday that it has cleared a backlog that left thousands of students waiting for school bus assignments last week.
“Every student included in the original routing backlog has now been assigned a bus route,” a statement from the district read.
Drivers will begin using the updated routes Monday, Aug. 31. Families are encouraged to check the Chipmunk app or ParentVUE for the latest bus assignments and pickup times.
“Now, our responsibility is to stabilize the system, strengthen customer service and address the underlying operational issues that contributed to the challenges we experienced during the opening of school,” Superintendent Shawn Joseph said in a statement.
The surge team will remain in place as the district handles new enrollments, address changes and other routine transportation requests as the new school year gets underway.
“Students may continue to require new or adjusted bus assignments as part of the normal routing process,” the statement read.
Staff will also review routes for errors, long ride times and stop-location concerns.
PGCPS announces transportation leadership change
PGCPS also announced a leadership change in its Transportation Department. Keba Baldwin is stepping down as transportation director, and former PGCPS Chief Operating Officer Dr. Mark Fossett will serve as acting director while leading a transportation transition team.
The district said it also plans to improve its telephone system so it can better track family inquiries and response times.
PGCPS will hold a telephone town hall at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, to update families and answer questions about transportation operations.
