A shift in bus routes this year has caused earlier morning arrival times for B-CC students. These recent changes have caused a multitude of reactions from parents and students at B-CC.
Sandra Ferris, mother of two B-CC students said, “In previous years, the bus would pick up at 7:05 a.m., now it picks up at 6:32 a.m.”
Mr. Hernandez, driver of bus 1109, said, “The times have to be that early, because I have ten stops in the morning. So, if I were to start later, I would arrive at school late.” With limited bus drivers, B-CC buses have combined previous routes and added more stops.
Parents have noticed how this has affected their kids’ sleep schedules. Ferris explained, “To catch the bus on time, it means my kids have to wake up at 5:30 a.m to have time to shower, eat breakfast, pack a lunch, and walk to the bus stop.” To catch the bus on time, it means my kids have to wake up at 5:30 a.m to have time to shower, eat breakfast, pack a lunch, and walk to the bus stop. — B-CC Parent, Sandra Ferris
As a result, many parents have turned to driving and carpooling their kids to school in the morning in an effort to get more sleep. Mindy Carlson, another parent at B-CC, took to one of the B-CC Community Listserves to express her concerns. “We’ve also decided to drive our kids as getting on a bus at 6:30 is ridiculously early and means our two kids would have to get up at 5:45 am.”
Students are also driving themselves. Junior Abby Schrader said, “the bus comes super early and is really overcrowded; driving just makes more sense.”
