Durham Public Schools is resuming daily bus service for most of its bus riders on Jan. 21, ending rotational busing that has been in place as a temporary measure to manage an acute bus driver shortage.
Under rotational busing, most bus riders in Durham Public Schools have gone without bus service one day a week since early December. In its place, the district is implementing “family responsibility zones” that will end bus service for about 900 elementary students who live within 1.5 miles of their school.
These changes will take effect after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
The district has posted updated information about family responsibility zones on its transportation webpage, including maps of where they will be located. Families directly affected by the measure were notified last month. Families who face extreme hardship will be able to appeal to receive bus service through a grievance process.
Additionally, the district is no longer planning to implement express bus stops for magnet schools this school year. In a presentation to the school board Thursday night, district staff said it would no longer be necessary since more drivers have recently been hired.
“However, we do believe that should be implemented for the 2025-2026 school year,” said Chief Operating Officer Larry Webb. “The exact stops, locations, procedures and timeline for next year can be refined in the spring.”
The school board had previously authorized transportation staff to explore express bus stops at Rogers-Herr Middle School, Durham School of the Arts, and the School for Creative Studies.
Superintendent Anthony Lewis said survey data from families that raised numerous concerns about express bus stops factored into his administration’s decision.
“They questioned the practicality of getting children to these stops,” Lewis said. “The overall perception there is that the logistical aspects of the plan have not been thoroughly considered, leading to potential chaos and inconvenience for families.”
More than 500 people, mostly parents, responded to the survey. Respondents could provide their own input, or vote to agree with responses from others. One comment highlighted by Lewis was, “For family responsibility zones, you picked schools with safe and walkable streets and sidewalks. Why not for express stops?”
“Comments like that help us make informed decisions,” Lewis said.
As the district plans for express bus stops in the upcoming school year, families can consider transportation when they apply for magnet schools. The application window for magnet schools goes through the end of January.
Durham Public Schools is continuing to recruit new bus drivers, and will hold a career fair on Jan. 21.
