ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Parents of students at Oak Hammock K-8 School reached out to WPTV, frustrated about their kids being picked up and dropped off late by the school bus.
WPTV’s Tyler Hatfield listened to them on Wednesday, as they told him it was a problem last year.
WATCH: Parents tell WPTV this was an issue last year as well
Three days in to the new school year, parents say the issue isn’t going away.
“Maybe it'll show up on time, maybe it won't,” said Jonathan Turco, a parent who reached out to WPTV with concerns.
Turco said his kids are being picked up and dropped off late.
“I had a 5-year-old start this year, and he didn't get off the bus till 5 o'clock on [Tuesday],” said Turco.
On Tuesday, Turco said their son waited for more than hour before the bus arrived at the school.
“They were left outside for over an hour and a half, sitting under an overhang in the rain, waiting for a bus to come,” said Turco. “We weren't even sure if it was going to show up or not.”
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Turco said this has been a problem since last school year, and showed WPTV emails with the school district starting this past February, looking for a solution.
“The school's giving us no help at this point,” said Turco. “St. Lucie County has given us no help at this point.”
I took the parents' concerns to St. Lucie Public Schools.
In a statement, the district said they are aware of the concerns and will continue to reach out and provide support and assistance they need.
I pressed the school district about the delays.
Right now, the school district operates over 400 buses with 300 bus routes for around 24,000 students throughout the county.
They said the transportation will improve as drivers gain experience with their assignments, and a primary reason for some of the delays is due to increased traffic congestion across the city.
For Turco, he hopes it gets better sooner rather than later.
“It just makes it harder for the parents to get through the day and tell them it's okay, the bus will be on time,” said Turco.
