Florence schools to end late bus routes

Students at schools in the Florence Unified School District who take after-hours extracurricular activities will have to find new ways to get back home.

FUSD has announced that beginning in the upcoming 2024-2025 school year the district will be canceling all late bus routes, including those in the San Tan Valley “due to very low ridership,” stated Rita Ann Reznick, director of public relations in an email.

The district sent parents a letter on Monday informing them of the changes. The letter read in part:

“After careful consideration and evaluation of our transportation services, we have made the decision to discontinue the operations of running the late bus routes. This decision means that students who participate in after-school activities will need to arrange alternative transportation home.

We understand that this decision may pose challenges for families and students who rely on late bus services. Please know that this decision was not made lightly and was based on the current low ridership of students who utilize the late bus.

It's important to note that while late bus routes will no longer be available, students will still have access to district transportation for athletic games. We remain committed to supporting extracurricular involvement and will continue to ensure that our students have opportunities to participate in various activities.

We encourage you to start planning alternative transportation arrangements for your child if they regularly utilize late bus services.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this change, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Your feedback is valuable to us as we strive to continuously improve our services and meet the needs of our school community.”

Shannon Weber, director of transportation at FUSD, said in an email to the Florence Independent that the decision to discontinue the late routes was made by district administration based on data collected from daily ridership and staffing to cover the late route assignment.

FUSD has several schools in San Tan Valley. For more information call 520-866-3500.