PGCPS sees progress on bus route delays, but driver shortages and tech failures persist

Prince George’s County Public Schools officials are striking a cautiously optimistic tone, pointing to improved route times and shrinking driver vacancies as signs that the district is stabilizing its troubled transportation system.

School leaders argue that they are tackling the root causes of the district’s rocky start to the school year by shortening long bus rides and bringing driver vacancies down.

The transportation department, however, continues to navigate ongoing challenges. District officials cited driving capacity as their single largest constraint, noting that driver absences, combined with open positions, create nearly 200 uncovered routes each day. As district leadership and the board work to manage that shortfall, bus drivers point to low pay, expired incentives and stressful working conditions, while parents continue to demand reliable tracking software and on-time buses.

During a presentation at Thursday night’s school board meeting, Acting Director of Transportation Mark Fossett reported progress on several fronts. As of Sept. 17, all early childhood students have received bus assignments, Fossett said.

Meanwhile, the number of students without a bus assignment dropped from more than 400 to roughly 100 among those experiencing homelessness. Under federal law, the district is legally required to provide transportation for students experiencing homelessness and students with disabilities, two populations that leaders said they are prioritizing.

Additionally, Fossett noted that all but a “couple” of routes have trimmed transit times below 90 minutes, with adjustments specifically targeted at Dora Kennedy French Immersion and Robert Goddard Montessori, two schools hardest hit by lengthy bus rides.

“As you all know, Dora Kennedy French Immersion and Robert Goddard Montessori were a challenge for us in the beginning of the year,” Fossett said. “We put a new routing system in place, and our goal was to balance ridership to decrease route time, and we think we’ve done that to the best of our ability at this moment.”

Fossett noted that driver vacancies have dropped to 41, with 10 new drivers currently in training. The district is also adding four routing positions, expanding from eight to 12 routers across 12 bus lots and introducing a routing supervisor.

PGCPS Chief Operating Officer Charoscar Coleman, however, pointed out that while vacancies are down, daily driver call-outs create an acute strain. According to the district, between 120 and 140 drivers call out daily, a 7% to 10% daily absence rate that compounds with open vacancies.

“Daily demand is outpacing our resources,” Coleman said.

To bridge the gap, the department is exploring temporary external support. The transportation director said one contractor is prepared to supply 10 to 15 drivers as a stopgap measure.

While parents acknowledged progress, many voiced ongoing frustration over lingering delays and the continued failure of Chipmunk, the district’s bus tracking application.

Terence Clegg, a parent of three children at Robert Goddard and a candidate for the vacant District 2 board seat, demanded that the district “fix Chipmunk or fire Chipmunk.”

“If I can reliably track my pepperoni pizza from oven to doorstep, surely we can provide parents with reliable information about where their children are,” Clegg said.

The board said it has established a 12-step plan with Chipmunk to improve the app. However, district officials did not respond to The Banner’s request for comment on the plan’s details or the status of the board chair’s previous demand for a refund following the software’s first-week crash.

Bus drivers who spoke at the meeting painted a stark picture of workplace morale, highlighting issues with compensation, scheduling and workload. Driver Paula Long testified that actual route assignments failed to match the routes that drivers had selected through the annual bidding process and criticized the expiration of incentive pay for extra runs.

“There is no incentive to pick up additional students in the middle of an existing route, and this affects families,” Long said.

She noted that neighboring Montgomery County pays $25 per extra run up to $50 per day. Long also highlighted wage compression, stating that PGCPS recruits new drivers at over $40 an hour while veteran staff see smaller paychecks.

Driver Demarciano Hudley echoed Long’s sentiments during his testimony, citing biweekly paychecks as low as $800 amid rising living costs, as well as management retaliation, nepotism and favoritism.

In response to questions from District 8 Board Member Zakyia Goins-McCants regarding regional pay equity, Chief Human Resources Officer Dana Edwards defended the district’s compensation structure as competitive with surrounding counties, though she acknowledged the need to evaluate how drivers are placed on pay scales.

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