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Pickens schools to reroute buses on identified hazardous roads; staff to notify affected families
Summary
Transportation staff recommended rerouting about 10 bus routes after a driver survey identified hazardous conditions affecting 29 students. District plans targeted outreach to families and said it has hired several new drivers as part of a recruitment/retention effort.
Pickens County School District transportation staff told the board June 9 that a recent driver survey and field review identified a set of routes the department considers hazardous and recommended limited rerouting.
Transportation supervisors said drivers submitted routes they considered unsafe because of narrow shoulders, lack of turnarounds, soft shoulders or other road features. Staff reported the recommended changes touch routes that list 29 students in total; the department said not all 29 students necessarily ride each day.
“These are the ones they came up with. This affects 29 total students. I don't even know that all 29 ride the bus every day,” the transportation presenter said while describing the field reviews. The district said supervisors visited each route on the drivers’ list and judged about half to be sufficiently risky to require a route change or a designated meeting point a short distance from the original stop.
Nut graf: Staff recommended rerouting roughly 10 routes to reduce driver and student exposure to hazardous roadway conditions while continuing service; the district plans personal outreach to affected families before changes take effect.
Transportation leaders also reported progress on recruitment and retention: the district has renovated a transportation lounge, formed a driver council to collect input and hired seven or eight new drivers in recent months. Staff said the department will attempt individual phone contact with families who will see changes and begin rerouting work immediately so families receive notice well before the new school year.
Board members asked staff to proceed with caution and prioritize clear communication. Staff said they expected some pushback but planned to begin individual calls and public notices as soon as routing adjustments are finalized.
Ending: The board gave staff informal approval to proceed with the field-verified changes and directed staff to notify impacted families in the coming week so parents can plan. No formal vote was recorded during the session.
