Jerome, ID, August 27, 2025
News Summary
The Jerome School District is grappling with significant issues in its new school busing system, leading to confusion for parents and students. Operational difficulties caused school cancellations last week, prompting many parents to drive their children to school. Transportation director Tim Hicks assures improvements are underway, focusing on correcting routing issues stemming from software glitches. The district is also hiring more bus drivers to accommodate increased ridership and enhancing communication with parents to ensure efficient transportation moving forward.
Jerome, ID – The Jerome School District is working to address significant challenges related to its new school busing system that caused widespread confusion and frustration among parents and students, resulting in school cancellations last week. The district encountered operational issues that led some parents to label the circumstances as “chaos,” prompting them to drive their children to school instead of using the bus service.
Transportation director Tim Hicks emphasized that improvements are consistently being made in the busing system, with progress visible compared to the initial difficulties experienced in the first week of operation. Superintendent Brent Johnson acknowledged the issues faced by families and apologized for the disruptions, describing the circumstances as unacceptable.
The newly implemented busing system is based on routing software intended to optimize bus schedules; however, inaccuracies in Google Maps data have complicated its application within Jerome County. Problems included incorrect student address assignments, where some students were directed to cornfields and other unintended locations. Furthermore, many parents faced frustration when students who were enrolled to use the bus were disqualified at the last minute, receiving notifications too late to make adjustments.
Investigations found a software glitch triggered some of these disqualifications. The transportation and IT departments are collaborating closely to resolve the identified issues. One of the steps being undertaken is asking parents to fill out transportation forms to provide accurate routing information, which is expected to help address the ongoing concerns.
To rectify the routing challenges, manual data entry corrections are underway and anticipated to be completed by the end of the next week. The district is also actively recruiting additional school bus drivers to meet the growing demand for transportation services, notably after the number of students requiring bus service increased from 950 to 1,300—a notable uptick that has presented logistical challenges, including overcrowding and delayed routes.
School classes were suspended on August 21 and 22 due to safety concerns linked to the bus fleet. To facilitate the successful operation of the bus system, the district has implemented specific changes for resuming classes. For instance, only registered students with confirmed routes will be permitted to board buses, while students living within a half-mile of schools will not have access to bus transportation, with exceptions clearly defined for those in need.
Efforts to improve bus operations include establishing new pick-up and drop-off patterns at several district schools. At Summit Elementary School, two dedicated traffic lanes for drop-off and designated zones have been created to enhance the flow of students arriving at school. Parents with students at Jerome Middle School have been encouraged to use designated routes to decrease traffic congestion during school hours.
Key Challenges Faced by the Jerome School District
- Implementation of new routing software led to significant inaccuracies.
- Incorrect addresses provided for students affected transport to incorrect locations.
- Disqualification notifications for bus riding were delivered too late.
- Inadequate time for implementing new systems and poor signage contributed to chaos.
- Increased ridership led to overcrowding and consequent challenges.
Future Expectations and Improvements
- Completion of manual data entry for addressing routing problems expected by next week.
- Increased hiring of bus drivers to meet transportation demand.
- Enhanced communication with parents regarding routing and pick-up information.
- Establishment of clear procedures and patterns for student transportation.
Background Information
The Jerome School District’s transportation system covers a variety of logistical elements that ensure students can transition safely and efficiently to and from school. However, the shift to an updated district-wide bus system, despite the technological advancements intended to improve efficiency, has raised multiple challenges revealing significant areas for improvement.
The district is committed to refining its approach to student transportation by actively engaging and solving the outstanding issues faced by all parties involved.
FAQ
What led to the recent disruptions in the Jerome School District’s transportation system?
The disruptions arose from inaccuracies in addressing data due to new routing software, leading to misdirected buses and incorrect notifications to students.
What measures is the district taking to resolve these issues?
The district is correcting routing information, hiring additional drivers, and establishing clear communication with parents to confirm ridership data.
Will classes be canceled again due to transportation issues?
While there’s no indication of future cancellations, the district is actively working to ensure that transportation operates smoothly to avoid any further disruptions.
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HERE Resources
Additional Resources
- KIVI TV: Jerome School District Addresses Bus System Chaos
- Google Search: Jerome School District transportation issues
- KMVT: School District Addresses First Week School Transportation Issues
- Wikipedia: School transportation in the United States
- KTVB: Jerome School District Cancels Thursday’s Classes
- Google News: Jerome School District bus issues
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