Parents say Boston school buses are skipping stops and dropping off kids an hour late

BOSTON — New technology at Boston Public Schools (BPS) is causing kids to arrive home from school more than an hour late and others not seeing the bus at all. The district said these are developmental issues that will eventually be addressed.

Children missed or dropped off late by buses

“And then he missed (my son’s) stop. I got there 25 minutes late,” said Cheryl Buckman. Her son, Landon, has autism, and “if his schedule is disrupted in any way, it sets him up for an epic fail all day long and makes it hard for teachers to get into a rhythm.”

Buckman is one of many parents using the new Zūm app the district has begun using. The high-tech system will notify the district to find out which students are on each bus and when they are being dropped off. Parents can even upload photos of their students to better identify their children to drivers. The app’s rollout hasn’t gone over well with parents.

“I’ve heard a few of them (arrived) at 7 p.m., but the latest I’ve seen my child is 3:30 p.m.,” Buckman said.

It’s not just morning pick-up that’s a problem. Terry Delehanty has trouble getting his grandchildren home.

“Last week, one time he was supposed to be home at 5:05 p.m.; he didn’t get home until 6:18 p.m.,” Delehanty said. “I’ll tell you this: Last week was a complete mess.”

Delehanty says one morning one of her grandchildren wasn’t picked up, so Buckman was kind enough to call an Uber for him.

“Last Tuesday the bus didn’t arrive until 8:15, and thank God my great-grandson’s mother is here, otherwise he wouldn’t have gone to school,” Delehanty said.

The district reported that bus travel times are improving

The district said the system is improving every day and that it will take weeks of data to fully understand Boston’s roads. That data can be used to create the best routes and loads for drivers. BPS is planning a major data dump into the system Tuesday through Wednesday.

“There was definitely a learning curve for drivers in the beginning. Sometimes they would push things that would end a route or start a route early, which would lead to low data,” explained Mary Skipper, BPS director. “We’re constantly looking at routes that are delayed to understand where the error occurred.”

Skipper said 98% of drivers now consistently use the app, and 90% of rides arrive within 15 minutes of when they’re expected. The district implemented the new system because 90% of buses arrived on time last year, and administrators believed the new technology would improve the remaining 10% and increase safety.

“Over time, that’s how we ensure safety. Before, we didn’t even know which student was getting on and off the bus at which stop, but now they know — student by student. They have to provide names, and parents can send photos so they can identify them,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “Once you have that information, it makes a big, big difference to see exactly when a student is going to be dropped off at the bus stop.”