A parent told the Wayne County Board of Education on Oct. 6 that ongoing bus cancellations and route reductions are undermining students’ ability to get to school and are contributing to educational inequities.

Jennifer Brown, a parent of two students at Northeast Elementary and a Wayne County graduate, said her family has encountered near-daily bus cancellations since 2022 and that schedule changes announced before the school year have not solved the problem. “Parents were notified before the school year began that school time adjustments were made … and that fewer buses would be operating,” Brown told the board. “How do we help these children meet their education standards if we cannot even get them to school?”

Superintendent Dr. Wichet acknowledged the problem and emphasized that driver recruitment is a national issue. “The issue, in most cases, comes down to an economical factor,” he said, adding that some drivers choose commercial options that pay more than school bus routes. He described local steps to expand capacity, including a district policy to allow paraprofessionals to obtain commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and a training class that currently has 13 participants who are expected to become drivers for routes.

The superintendent said the district has modified schedules in places such as Northeast to allow double-tiered routes and is collecting ideas from other districts and from parents. He invited parents to meet with district staff to offer ideas and said leadership is working to make the situation better for families.

No formal board action was taken during public comment; the superintendent described ongoing operational steps and offered to meet with parents who have proposals.