Franklin outlines bus routing, projected ridership increases and new online registration for 2025

Colin Guavera, Franklin Public Schools' director of operations, reported to the School Committee on March 11 that the district ran route‑modeling exercises for the reorganization and expects higher ridership next year while maintaining similar average ride times.

Guavera said the district currently transports 2,466 students on 28 buses across 56 routes with 838 morning stops. "For the school year 2024–25 we transport 2,466 students on 28 buses going 56 routes, stopping at 838 bus stops," he said.

Using projected percentages of riders by level (district projections presented as 60% elementary, 69% middle and 38% high school), the operations team ran exercises in its routing software to estimate how consolidation of attendance areas would affect bus counts and ride times. In the scenario Guavera presented, the district could accommodate an increase of about 275 riders while reducing the…