News Summary
The Jerome School District is tackling anxious concerns from parents following issues with the new bus system that caused class cancellations. Transportation Director Tim Hicks assures improvements are on the way, although problems like inaccurate routing have led to frustrations. The district is adapting by improving communication and manual data entry to fix software glitches. Parents are encouraged to help by completing transportation forms. Changes to bus operations are expected in the coming weeks as the district seeks to enhance the overall experience for families.
Jerome, Idaho – The Jerome School District is addressing widespread frustrations among parents following disruptions in the new school bus system that led to class cancellations last week. Parents described the situation as chaotic, with many opting to personally drive their children to school instead of relying on the troubled bus service.
Tim Hicks, the district’s transportation director, indicated that improvements are underway. He stated that the busing operations are getting “better and better.” Superintendent Brent Johnson echoed these sentiments, noting that significant progress has been made compared to the initial troubled week of the bus rollout.
Johnson acknowledged the frustrations that parents experienced, calling attention to the unacceptable issues that arose with the new system. Many of these problems stemmed from the district’s reliance on routing software integrated with Google Maps, which has proven inaccurate for certain locations in Jerome County. The inaccuracies included incorrect address listings for students, resulting in some being directed to cornfields or other incorrect locations.
Compounding the issues, some parents were left frustrated when students who were enrolled to use the bus were suddenly disqualified for the service without adequate notice. A software glitch was identified as the root cause of many of these disqualifications, and the transportation and IT departments are currently working to resolve these technical issues.
To improve the situation, parents have been asked to complete transportation forms that will assist in addressing routing concerns. The district anticipates enhancements to the transportation system will begin to show results in the coming weeks. Manual data entry is required to rectify the routing inaccuracies, and this task is expected to be completed by the end of next week.
The district also faces the challenge of hiring additional school bus drivers to meet increased demands for transportation services. Classes were canceled on August 21 and 22 due to safety concerns related to the state of the bus fleet and necessary operational adjustments. Initially, the district had increased its bused student count from 950 to 1,300, which created considerable logistical challenges including overcrowded buses and delays.
Additional problems stemmed from poor signage at bus transfer points and insufficient time to implement the new system effectively. Moving forward, the district plans to ensure that only students with confirmed ridership information will be allowed to use the bus services. New pick-up and drop-off patterns are being established at various schools to optimize transportation operations.
At Summit Elementary School, two traffic lanes for drop-off have been created along with designated drop-off zones to streamline the process. Meanwhile, parents of students at Jerome Middle School are being encouraged to follow specific routes for accessing the school to enhance traffic flow.
Students living within a half-mile radius of their schools will not receive bus transportation, except for designated exceptions. As the district works to rectify these ongoing challenges, officials remain committed to improving the transportation experience for all families involved.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
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
Author: STAFF HERE INDIANAPOLIS WRITER
INDIANAPOLIS STAFF WRITER The INDIANAPOLIS STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREIndianapolis.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Indianapolis, Marion County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the Indianapolis 500, Indy Jazz Fest, and the Indiana State Fair. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Indy Chamber and Visit Indy, plus leading businesses in motorsports and healthcare that power the local economy such as Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IU Health. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Indiana's dynamic landscape.
