Florida school bus drivers testing routes ahead of first day of classes

ORLANDO, Fla. - School bus drivers across Central Florida are doing one last test drive before students join them on Thursday for the first day of school. Despite the nationwide bus driver shortage, in Seminole County officials said they are fully staffed and ready for students.

"Majority of our routes have stayed the same. What we tried to do is add on a few stops if we had to or condense a route that a student didn’t go to," said Seminole County Public Schools Director of Transportation Stan McKinzie.
McKinzie says something new they’re implementing on buses this year is the ability for drivers to track the number of students who get on and off the bus.

"It’s another safety precaution we have for the parents –  if five students get on at that one spot, that means we want to make sure those five students get off. It sets an alarm if only four get off," said McKinzie.

As Orange County bus drivers also practice their routes for the new school year, they’re also putting a new tablet to use – it provides turn-by-turn directions with the use of GPS.

In Osceola County, the transportation department says they will have to accommodate more students to ride the bus this year, compared to last.

In terms of keeping up with your child, many school districts use the "Here Comes The Bus" app. It allows parents to track their child’s bus with GPS technology.