LAFAYETTE, La. — As kids got ready to re-enter the classroom for the upcoming school year, some parents tell KATC their kids had issues getting to school on buses.
Jobie Lagrange is a mother of two elementary students. She says the issue started a few weeks ago when only one of two kids, who live at the same address, was registered for a bus.
"It's a frightening situation,” she said. “It's a total disaster. I don't know who's in charge and where this process has become broken, but it is scary. And there's no one where the kids are at right now that can help them. They don't know themselves."
Meanwhile, Lafayette Parish School System tells KATC there were no transportation issues or cancellations on the first day of school.
The parent says she contacted the call center suggested by the school system: 521-RIDE.
"The hotline said, 'We don't handle this," said Lagrange.
Again, LPSS says that’s not the case.
"They can answer questions, so parents just make sure that we have the home address and we can also help identify the bus number and the bus driver for your student,” said LPSS Public Information Officer Allison Dickerson.
After calling the call center, Lagrange called her kid’s school and was told their system was down. They were later able to connect her with a bus driver, who took her daughter to school.
"Today I'm hoping my kid comes home on the bus,” said Lagrange. “And at the time that he's supposed to be there, she gets off because if not, who do I call to find where she is?"
Other parents say they are also concerned with last minute changes made to their kids' bus routes and the lack of communication on those changes, leaving parents in the dark. LPSS says parents would be the first to be informed if there's any type of cancellation.
Overall, the system says the first day of school went smoothly.
“Nothing that we didn't anticipate, nothing that we cannot review, look at and make sure that it's fixed and ready to go for school tomorrow,” said Dickerson. “It was really a smooth day, few little bumps on the road, nothing to be worried about, they've all been addressed."
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