SOMERSET COUNTY, Md. -- Problems with a handful of the county's buses delayed students' dismissal on Wednesday. The school system implemented a two-hour delay on Thursday to get the buses back in working order.
Somerset County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ava Tasker-Mitchell said five buses did not pass inspection and had to be taken off the roads on Wednesday for minor issues.
"Re-certification has to do with a lot of different things," said Tasker-Mitchell. "It can be something as simple as oiling, putting oil on something, or greasing something on the bus. It's not always necessarily linked to 'Oh, this is something majorly wrong with the bus."
After SCPS alerted parents to the delayed dismissal on Wednesday, a flurry of comments from parents popped up on social media. Some of them questioned if the buses had been safe throughout the start of the school year.
Tasker-Mitchell assures parents they have been.
"Our students are the priority, and certainly, if we or my team felt like any of our buses were unsafe or not appropriate for them to be riding, they would not be on those buses," said Tasker-Mitchell.
However, she would not specify what the problem was.
"What I will say is based off of the buses being placed right back into service, it was not a major issue, that's why they were quickly able to be back on the road," said Tasker-Mitchell.
Parent Whitney Townsend believes the school system, which she entrusts with two kids, made the right moves.
"Safety first, so as long as they put safety first with the kids and stuff I'm sure everyone was okay with that," said Townsend.
All 40 SCPS buses are fully operational, and pick-up and drop-off times are back to normal.
SCPS did release a statement on Thursday.
