Feeder routes to replace rural bus routes

Perkins County Schools will undergo a major change this year on how it transports rural students to school. 

For years, the school has run rural bus routes, picking up rural students at their front door. That is coming to an end.

Instead, the school will run three feeder routes to pick up students—one north, one west and one east. 

The primary reason for making the change—a lack of bus drivers. 

Superintendent Phillip Picquet said they’ve been operating bus routes with the bare minimum of drivers and a lack of substitute drivers for the last couple of years. 

After this past school year, the retirement of another driver, and no new drivers to take over, forced the decision.

School patrons with children on bus routes will be receiving a letter from Piquet this week to explain the new feeder system.

Picquet said the east route will run on Hwy. 23 and pick up students in Elsie at the Elsie office and then to Madrid to pick up students at the post office there. 

He said that route will likely have the most students. The school has buses up to 60 passengers to accommodate the route. 

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