Amsterdam News | More than 80,000 school bus delays were reported during the 2023-24 school year, according to Advocates for Children of New York (AFC). Among them were special education students, and others who live far from their chosen schools and rely on the buses for transportation.

The AFC said this school year has started off equally rough for thousands of students.

Randi Levine, policy director for AFC, attributed the bulk of school bus delays to outdated city contracting and the fact that bus companies can choose their routes, often leaving out kids with longer or farther-out routes.

“Most of the bus contracts were signed in 1979 and that is what we are using today. Unfortunately, those bus contracts do not meet the needs of today’s students,” said Levine.