COMAL COUNTY, Texas — This week, bus rides back home were canceled for some Comal ISD students.
The school district says it tried notifying parents that certain afternoon routes would be canceled, but it wasn’t until Monday that parents and students found out when waiting for a ride home.
Parents say they had to pick up their kids over an hour after school dismissal due to the miscommunication, and that this move left their kids with no way home on Monday.
The district says they didn’t know parents did not get the message until it was too late.
Nicole Flores says this school year had some challenges for her son.
“It’s unbelievable they wouldn’t communicate to me this wasn’t happening,” Flores says he latest one came when her son called Monday saying he didn’t have a bus ride home.
“A lot of kids were stranded, with no notice,” Flores said she isn’t the only parent affected.
Lindsey Johnson says she had to pick her son up from Smithson Valley Middle school on Monday but says not all parents have that luxury.
“It would not have worked and the parent would be with the choice of do I miss work…or do I have my child miss school and lose out on education,” Johnson said.
Comal ISD sent an automated message to parents this week, in which they said they apologize for the confusion.
KENS 5 asked the district why they didn’t discover the glitch sooner and they say they were unaware until parents started calling.
The district has spent time and money trying to recruit bus drivers.
This week—bus drivers got a pay bump from $15 per hour to $16.16 per hour.
In August, KENS 5 reported the district was short up to 29 drivers.
KENS 5 asked for updated numbers and we didn’t get a response at our deadline.
“I understand you can’t pull a bus driver out of nowhere, but communication is everything, especially when you’re responsible for other people’s children,” Flores said.
The school district says at this time they anticipate having a driver for the route next week.