CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Chambersburg Superintendent Christoper Bigger said the number of students still unassigned to bus routes had dropped to the 200s as of Monday night, and the staff would continue working to lower it further throughout the week.
Although the transportation system supporting the new Stopfinder app created some challenges, Bigger said switching to the new system and app was the right decision ahead of redistricting efforts. In the meantime, parents of unassigned students must find alternative ways to get children to and from school.
District officials said the number of students without a bus assignment had dropped from about 700 at the opening of school to 380 as of Monday. The district transports more than 10,000 students each year, according to information presented at the Aug. 18 school board meeting.
A district official told board members that roughly 570 students needing transportation changes were added after the beginning of August. Those changes included late registrations, address updates and changes in child care arrangements, contributing to a heavier-than-usual workload for the transportation staff.
A local parent said the uncertainty has been stressful. The parent, who has a freshman at Chambersburg Area High School, said the family had not received transportation information by the fourth day of classes and had been driving the student to school instead.
The parent said the drive takes about 12 minutes in traffic and complicates a night-shift work schedule. The family’s bus stop had remained the same for several years, the parent said, making the lack of an assignment difficult to understand.
Families were instructed in June to use the Stopfinder app for bus-stop and schedule information. However, the parent said the app continued to show no schedule for the student, rather than pickup and drop-off details.
District staff members said transportation officials were prioritizing special education and elementary students while working through the unassigned-student list. The district had expected to assign most remaining students by the end of the week and said it would provide daily updates to affected families.
Some parents said the delay has forced them to adjust work schedules, rely on relatives or arrange rides while waiting for an assignment.
