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‘Unprecedented action’: CCS leaders explain reason to overhaul bus transportation mid-school year

A driver shortage combined with a software issue is what ultimately led district leaders to decide to overhaul the bus transportation system.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Families and students within the Columbus City Schools district are bracing for big changes to the bus transportation system.

“Why now? We knew we needed to take action,” said Scott Varner, Executive Director of Student and Family Engagement.

A driver shortage combined with a software issue is what ultimately led district leaders to decide to overhaul the bus transportation system.

“As a district, we knew we had to take some unprecedented action to solve this unprecedented challenge,” said Varner.

More than 38,000 Columbus City School students depend on the bus every day. Starting January 3rd, all bus routes will be updated.

For your student, this means, a new bus driver, new pick-up and drop-off times, and possibly a new bus stop location.

“Never before has the district done something like this where we are mid-way through the year and potentially changing every route,” Varner said.

The district is changing out its routing software to use Versa-trans. It's been used by the district before and is said to be able to adjust the number of routes to better match the number of available drivers.

Columbus City Schools isn't the only central Ohio district dealing with bus challenges. In recent weeks Reynoldsburg students have had to take turns staying home, learning virtually, due to a lack of drivers.

RELATED: More students learning remotely as Reynoldsburg scrambles for bus drivers

In the South-Western City Schools District, parents will have access to the StopFinder app after Thanksgiving, to track their child's bus.

Problems with buses have been mounting for months for Columbus City Schools, showing up late or not at all.

"I've been told transportation is a privilege, well I say it's the district's responsibility,” said Deanna Zimmerman, a CCS parent at a November 1 Board of Education meeting.

The changes will take place when students return from winter break.

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