North Gwinnett News

In preparation for the upcoming school year, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) Transportation Department has undertaken a comprehensive cleaning and servicing of its buses. Driver training sessions have also been conducted to ensure readiness. Once the academic year begins, GCPS school buses will undergo cleaning and disinfection both before routes commence and after each morning and afternoon route is completed.

Starting Monday, July 29, residents of Gwinnett County will observe school buses navigating their neighborhoods as drivers run assigned routes during actual drive times. This practice will continue through Friday, August 2. Parents are advised to look for their school's name displayed on a card in the bus window to identify their child's bus.

The GCPS transportation system operates over 2,000 school buses and manages more than 44,783 bus stops daily. "Gwinnett transports more than131,000 students twice a day and is the third largest transporter of students in the country," according to GCPS data from the previous school year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration highlights that "students are about 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a school bus instead of traveling by car."

Parents are encouraged to plan for additional time during the first three weeks of school as routes may run slower due to new safety procedures being implemented by drivers. These measures aim to ensure student safety, particularly for young or first-time riders.

GCPS emphasizes cooperation between parents and officials in maintaining safety standards. They advise parents to familiarize children with their bus stop locations using resources like ParentVUE and encourage setting routines from the first day of in-person instruction.

If issues arise where a child does not disembark at their scheduled stop, parents should contact their local school or transportation at 770-513-6686. For special education transportation inquiries, call 770-513-6881.

For alternate pick-up or drop-off arrangements due to documented disabilities or other reasons within the attending school zone, parents must submit an "Alternative Address Form" or "Transportation Parent Authorization Form" annually. Questions regarding these forms can be directed to 678-226-7036.