Some students may not be eligible for school buses this year as DCPS announces policy changes

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hundreds of Duval County families might have to make a change this upcoming school year as the district plans to take away bus rides from kids who live too close to school.

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Anyone who lives under 2 miles from the school will be ineligible for bus transportation, and it will impact up to 1,100 students this upcoming school year.

This change comes as the nation is experiencing a bus driver shortage, with many companies struggling to hire the number of drivers needed to accommodate the growing district.

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The update sent out by Duval County Public Schools says the policy change was implemented to align the district with state law.

Action News Jax spoke with neighbors on the Southside who felt the change is adding to the headache of getting kids to school on time.

“[In] some of these neighborhoods, it’s not safe to walk that extra half mile,” Dan Blankenship, a DCPS student’s grandfather, said. “They don’t have enough school bus drivers as it is. They’re already short on that.

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Action News Jax has been telling you about driver shortages throughout Northeast Florida. Back in April, Student Transportation of America, one of the bus vendors for Duval County, laid off approximately 160 bus drivers, and last year on the first day of school, some students waited an hour to get picked up for school.

We reached out to DCPS to ask about the changes, including whether or not the change is related to a shortage of bus drivers. The district didn’t respond by our deadline.

“I think that they have issues that they need to take care of before they start making new policies and new directions,” expressed Blankenship.

The soft deadline to register for bus transportation was July 15, but the district said parents can still apply for their children. Once you register, bus eligibility will be determined.

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