Tuscaloosa City Schools requests patience for new bus drivers

Tuscaloosa City Schools officials are requesting patience from families as new bus drivers navigate routes during the start of the school year. Approximately 13 percent of the district’s 108 regular drivers are in their first year of service.

Transportation Director Tiny McCool noted that while the first day was generally successful, drivers encountered challenges with newly added stops and navigation. To prepare for the opening, the department conducted an extensive outreach effort, contacting every parent in the system to confirm bus route needs and addresses.

Driver Phillip Farley reported that heavy traffic from parents driving students to school on the first day caused delays of up to 20 minutes near some campuses. Despite these initial hurdles, officials stated that no child was left behind on the first day of service.