DALLAS, N.C. — Parents in Gaston County are dealing with problems getting their kids to and from school. Many are frustrated with the transportation issues from the school district that have caused students to arrive at school hours late.
Kevin Arevalo-Daszkiewicz has a daughter who attends middle school in Gaston County. But the first few days have been an issue.
“She's waited over four hours in the last two days for the bus to come pick her up," Arevalo-Daszkiewicz said.
His seventh-grade daughter has missed the first bell for consecutive days to start the school year.
“Every email we've gotten leading up to this saying that education promptly starts at 8:30 and they make it seem like a really big deal," he said. "And here we are, at 10 o'clock, waiting on a school bus."
Arevalo-Daszkiewicz reached out to the school several times, and they finally shared some details with him.
“They're supposed to pick up my son, first take him down the road, drop him off at school," Arevalo-Daszkiewicz said. "Then she comes back and starts picking up the middle school kids."
A spokesperson from the school district told WCNC Charlotte:
"The school has experienced some bus-related issues and is working to ensure there are enough bus drivers; there is accuracy in scheduling students to buses; and there is better communication between parents and the school about which students are relying on bus transportation. Also, there is traffic congestion in the area (due in part to some construction at the school entrance) that is causing delays.
This is a good opportunity to remind parents about being patient and understanding during the first week of school as the school works on having drivers for all the routes, adjusting routes as needed, and making any necessary changes based on ridership."
Arevalo-Daszkiewicz hopes the issue can be resolved to prevent his daughter from missing any more classes.
Contact Myles Harris at mharris5@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.