Parents report extended ride times, spotty communication after long-term bus driver absence

Parents at the Olmsted Falls City School District Board meeting raised concerns about transportation after a bus driver for route 90 went out and did not return for several weeks, causing pickup and drop-off times to run roughly 30 minutes late.

A resident who spoke during public comment described children being on the bus an extra half hour and said parents received little information from the bus garage and that the district’s bus app sometimes did not update. “Our kids are reading at Ballston House out. It's an extra half hour. They're getting dropped off an extra half hour,” the resident said.

Board members acknowledged the shortage and the communication failure and said they would investigate the specific route and the gaps in messaging. The board noted that driver shortages are ongoing but also said the lack of returned calls from the bus office and intermittent app updates added avoidable stress for families.

The board and district staff did not commit to a specific operational fix on the record but said they would follow up with the bus garage and transportation leadership to identify alternatives for the period the driver remains out.

Why it matters: families cited welfare and safety concerns, including children waiting in the dark or arriving home late, and asked the district to consider temporary route reassignments or other contingency plans while the shortage continues.

The board heard the comment during the public-comment portion of the meeting and said staff would track down the incident and report back to the board and the community.