CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx —
Some Corpus Christi ISD parents say school bus delays during the first days of school were far worse than the district had warned, with some students waiting more than an hour and at least one child walking home.
CCISD's director of transportation had warned families ahead of the school year to expect some delays during the first few days as drivers and students adjusted to new routes. But for some parents, the reality was more disruptive than anticipated.
"The first couple of days are gonna be hard. There's gonna be transitions... but kids being 45 minutes to an hour and a half late to school... and kids not getting home until 5:30. They're exhausted, they're starving," Latoya Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez, a CCISD parent and owner of Rose Soiree, made a Facebook post asking other parents how the first day of school went. Responses poured in. One mother said her son waited more than an hour for his bus after school before walking the rest of the way home. Another parent said her daughter, who now needs to take the bus after being relocated from one of the middle schools that closed, said she would have to find other transportation options after the first day.
Rodriguez said she feels for working parents who may not have the flexibility to adjust their schedules.
"I can't imagine a mom that was late to work because of... the traffic and congestion around school drop-offs and pickups…" Rodriguez said.
Parents began tagging CCISD in social media comments about the delays. When asked for an on-camera interview, the district instead provided a written statement, saying delays are common as families and drivers get used to new routes and heavier traffic.
Some parents say they are now considering carpooling or picking their children up themselves. Rodriguez said she would like to see more help managing the congestion around schools.
"People who are going into different neighborhoods. They don't know which way to drive... It's just caused a lot of congestion for …drivers and for buses," Rodriguez said.
Parents say they are hoping to see improvements soon. CCISD says it is still working to fill school bus driver vacancies.
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