Durham schools pause express-stop rollout, keep family-responsibility walk zones after community survey

Durham Public Schools Board of Education work session, Jan. 9, 2025

Durham Public Schools administrators told the school board on Thursday they will not implement express stops for magnet-school transportation this school year and will continue with family responsibility zones (FRZs) while pressing to end rotational bus coverage in mid-January.

The decision followed a survey of families affected by proposed FRZs and express stops and a staff presentation that flagged safety, equity and logistical concerns voiced by parents, students and bus drivers. Transportation staff said express stops remain a possible tool for the 2025–26 school year but should not be rolled out this year.

Why it matters: The change would alter how many students are expected to walk to school or to centralized stops rather than use neighborhood bus stops. Parents, students and some board members said the proposal raised safety and equity concerns for families without cars, for working parents and for neighborhoods lacking sidewalks. District officials said the changes are intended to end the unpredictable rotational bus coverage that has left routes canceled or repeatedly delayed.

What staff presented Transportation staff said the district surveyed more than 500 households identified as affected by proposed FRZs and express stops; 86% of respondents were parents or guardians and 15% identified Spanish as their primary language. The written responses, staff said, repeatedly cited safety risks walking to stops, greater traffic congestion, lack of supervision at…