Hardy County School

School Transportation

Why are the bus routes changed every year? Changes in enrollment, different bus stops, changes in state requirements, and students moving to different schools are some of the reasons. In Hardy County we are also dealing with all of these and new housing areas and a dramatic increase in traffic. Every route and every stop are reviewed every year and revised as needed. In addition, we added three new bus routes for this year, and expect to add more as long as enrollment increases.

Can you reduce the length of bus runs? The addition of three new runs, the first in a number of years, was a first step. However, in some cases the addition students, additional stops, and the extension of several runs resulted in little reduction in time. With almost 90% of all students in Hardy County being transported by bus, and over 500 squares miles to cover, this continues to be a problem. This will remain an on-going goal for the school system.

Why do the younger students have to wait at school before being picked up? State law requires a longer school day for high school students and a shorter day for elementary. In order to avoid having young students sitting on a bus and waiting for high school students to be released some routes were changed to avoid this. Even though the younger students have to wait – we try and keep them in a school rather than sitting and waiting on a bus.

How is the decision made not to have school in bad weather? The first consideration is student safety due to road conditions. During bad weather road conditions are constantly checked, starting before 4:00am. Information is gathered from numerous sources throughout the county and surrounding areas. The decision to have school on time, have a delay or to cancel must be made by 5:30am in order to make sure everyone knows – parents, bus drivers, and schools. If weather conditions change after this time then problems arise – and this is hard to predict. Every effort is made to insure roads are safe for transporting students. Remember, the weather conditions you may see at 7:00am cannot always be predicted at 5:30am.

What is the best way to find out if school is closed? Prior to 6:00am announcements go out. This includes every radio and TV station in the surrounding area – all the way into Virginia and Maryland. Cancellation notices are put on the information line at the Board Office – 530-2348 ext 555. Information is also posted on the following websites www.hardycountyschools.com and www.cancellation.com. In addition to the above every school has a “call tree” to alert all employees. Even with all this sometime information does not get out. If you have problems getting such information in your area please contact the transportation department for additional suggestions.

Who do I contact for further information on transportation? Please call Mr. Gary Clower, 538-2348 ext 233.

“FAQ” is a monthly column designed to address questions the public may have regarding the operations of Hardy County Schools. If you have a question or a topic that you would like addressed please contact Jeanette Keller at the Hardy County Board of Education Office – 530 – 2348 ext 236.