BUS ROUTES ARE CHANGING AND LAFAYETTE PARISH PARENTS NEED TO BE READY

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - Lafayette Parish buses will roll on August 7th, and it’s critical that parents know about changes and steps they need to take to make sure their children arrive at school safely.

The district began evaluating routes last year to determine the most effective and efficient way to transport students to and from school. One main goal was to ensure that kids riding the bus to schools in their designated zones would spend less time traveling.

Read More: Lafayette Parish Schools Start School Year With Staggered Schedule

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The LPSS transportation team was able to reduce the total number of routes to 240, down from 261.

SOME BUSES TO FINALLY HAVE AIR CONDITIONING

Another welcome change is the installation of air conditioning on 115 of the buses. Those of us who are older know that riding in what amounts to a long metal structure when temperatures are pushing the mid to upper 90s in August and early September is miserable.

Adding AC units allows for a more comfortable ride for students, and improves the working conditions for drivers. About 40 of the 240 buses in the fleet still need AC, and it will cost about $700,000 to complete the project. LPSS says they are working to make that happen soon.

STUFF PARENTS NEED TO KNOW

Meanwhile, parents are asked to complete a few steps in advance of the first bell ringing:

• Visit LPSSonline.com to find your student’s bus stop, bus number, and driver’s name. You may have a new bus driver on your route this year.

• The guidelines for in-zone students and magnet academy students have been adjusted.

• Go into the parent portal and make sure your address and contact information is correct. Bus routes are attached to the student’s home address, so incorrect information can lead to problems.

• Make sure that your child is tagged at the school as a bus rider before the first day of school.

The reminders in the bulleted list apply to all students. More specific information for elementary, middle, and high school riders, as well as any changes for in-zone and magnet students is available at this link.

If parents in Lafayette Parish have any questions about the school transportation system, they can call (337) 521-RIDE (7433) or visit the LPSSonline.com website.