Habersham schools prepare for busier year on the road

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — Habersham County Schools expects to transport more than 4,100 students each day this school year, continuing a steady increase in bus ridership while expanding the number of students riding on buses equipped with seat belts.

Transportation Director Stephanie Walker shared an overview of the district’s transportation operations during Thursday’s Habersham County Board of Education work session, just hours before the start of the 2026-27 school year.

Walker said the district’s transportation department has spent the past several weeks preparing for the first day of classes.

“We are ready,” Walker said. “We are excited. Our drivers … are ready to go.”

She said the department has worked through every detail leading up to the opening of school.

“We’re going to do what we can, what we always do, which is take care of our kids,” she said.

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Ridership continues to climb

Walker said Habersham County Schools transported approximately 4,100 students each day during the 2025-26 school year, an increase of 8.9% over the past four to five years as bus ridership has steadily climbed since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The district currently operates 16 special education bus routes and approximately 76 general education routes, along with athletic and activity shuttles, putting nearly 100 buses on the road during the school year.

The transportation department employs mechanics, fleet support staff, school bus inspectors, drivers and bus aides, with aides assigned to every special education route to assist students with physical disabilities, medical needs, behavioral challenges and other specialized needs.

Although students attend school for 180 instructional days, Walker said district buses are on the road approximately 286 days each year to support athletics, after-school programs, special education services and other school activities.

The first buses leave transportation facilities around 5:30 each morning so drivers can reach their routes before the first student pickups, which generally begin around 6 a.m. Afternoon routes typically conclude around 4:40 p.m., while buses serving after-school programs may continue operating until about 6 p.m.

Safety remains a priority

Walker said the district continues expanding its fleet of buses equipped with passenger seat belts.

This year, six new buses assigned to the Hazel Grove attendance district entered service, joining previously equipped buses serving Baldwin Elementary and Clarkesville Elementary schools.

As a result, nearly 20% of Habersham County students who ride school buses will have seat belts available this year, up from about 12% last year.

Walker also highlighted the district’s continued compliance with Georgia’s Addie’s Law, which requires school districts to consider safer bus stop locations on roads with speed limits above 40 mph. She said Habersham County Schools had already begun reviewing and relocating bus stops along major highways before the law was enacted.

Throughout the year, transportation officials continuously analyze bus routes using mapping software, student ridership data and neighborhood growth to improve efficiency while maintaining safety.

The department also has begun using “overflow routes” in areas with high concentrations of rental housing, allowing officials to adjust routes more efficiently as student populations change.

National recognition

Walker recently completed a five-year term on the executive board of the Georgia Association for Pupil Transportation, including service as past president.

She also continues to teach transportation safety at the state and national levels and was recognized last year with the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association for Pupil Transportation.

Walker said the knowledge she gains through those leadership roles is brought back to Habersham County.

“I bring that same training to our Habersham County drivers and our bus aides,” she said.

She invited board members to attend the department’s monthly voluntary leadership training sessions for transportation employees, describing the program as an opportunity to develop future leaders within the department.

With buses fueled, routes finalized and drivers prepared, Walker said the transportation department is ready to begin another school year safely.

“We are ready,” she said. “We are excited.”