PGCPS superintendent gives bus rollout an ‘F,’ promises to clear route backlog by Saturday

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. - Prince George’s County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph took responsibility Thursday night for the district’s troubled start to the school year, calling the transportation rollout a "leadership failure" and giving the district an "F" for its handling of school bus service.

The admission came during a heated Board of Education meeting, where frustrated parents and bus drivers demanded answers after days of late and missing buses, incorrect routes and problems with the district’s new bus-tracking technology.

READ MORE | Prince George's County Public Schools bus problems enter day 3 as families demand answers

Superintendent offers apology 

"I agree this wasn’t just an app problem. This was a leadership failure, and I own that," Joseph said. "Transportation failed too many families and exposed too many vulnerabilities … from staffing, technology issues to our communication."

About 10,000 Prince George’s County students began the school year without assigned bus routes. The problems were compounded Tuesday morning when Chipmunk, the district’s new bus-tracking app, crashed on the first day of school.

Joseph said a combination of staffing and training shortages, technology problems and a lack of transparency contributed to the chaotic rollout.

As part of the district’s response, Joseph said PGCPS will add four routing technicians, an additional scheduler and a routing supervisor. He also pledged improved technology training and stronger communication with families.

The district is still working through a backlog of students awaiting permanent bus assignments, along with incomplete or incorrect routes. A shortage of bus drivers has also forced some routes to be combined or doubled.

Families still waiting for permanent assignments have been told they can use the district’s BusPlanner system to locate an eligible nearby bus stop while they wait.

Parents and drivers react

But parents and drivers who addressed the school board Thursday night said the problems go beyond temporary inconveniences. Several argued the district should have been better prepared before the first day of classes and described the transportation problems as a recurring issue.

"My concern is safety for our children, and as you know, fall is coming and it’s dark out," parent Phyllis Wright said. "I worry about our kids."

Bus drivers also told board members they are struggling with the impact of the transportation problems.

"We want to do our jobs, but we can only do what we can do," said Cheryl Davis, a driver with ACE-AFSCME Local 2250. "We want to pick up the children, but … we’re not getting the support that we need."

Joseph also provided families with a timeline for the first phase of the district’s response.

He said staff will work around the clock with the goal of clearing the current backlog and getting affected students assigned to bus routes by Saturday.

Joseph cautioned, however, that clearing the backlog will not resolve every transportation problem.

The next phase will focus on stabilizing the system, including reducing lengthy bus rides and correcting inaccurate or inefficient routes — work Joseph acknowledged will take more time.