Introduction to the Problem
Approximately 150,000 New York City children ride buses to school, including around 66,000 students with disabilities and students living in the shelter system. When there’s a problem with bus service, these groups are usually the ones who suffer most. In just the first weeks of the 2025-2026 school year, there have been 4,476 no-shows and 8,068 reported bus delays and breakdowns as of last week, city officials said.
The Impact on Students
New York is the largest school district in the country, so it also has the largest school bus system. Approximately 150,000 children ride these buses, the majority of whom are Latino and Black, according to researchers. Around 66,000 bus riders are students with disabilities and students living in temporary housing, including those staying in the city’s shelter system. When there’s a problem with bus service, these groups are usually the ones who suffer most.
The Road to Better Busing Coalition
The Road to Better Busing Coalition, made up of advocates and parents affected by bus delays and other issues, are rallying for improvements. “Each year, as the school year begins, there’s one thing we can count on: our phones will ring off the hook with calls from families whose children can’t get to school due to school bus service failures,” said Randi Levine, policy director of Advocates for Children of New York, during remarks at a rally outside City Hall in late September.
Delays and Breakdowns
During the 2023–2024 school year, in a network of 9,000 school bus routes braiding city streets, there were 80,000 delays. In just the first weeks of the 2025-2026 school year, there have been 4,476 no-shows and 8,068 reported bus delays and breakdowns as of last week, city officials said. Most of the problems in the latter category are delays (7,629) while there were 439 breakdowns in September, according to New York City’s Public Schools (NYCPS, formerly known as the Department of Education).
Submitting Complaints
When these incidents happen, parents can submit complaints in a few ways: use ServiceNow to call the OPT Service Desk (which offers translation services in multiple languages), use SupportHub to submit online, or send an email to NYCPS. “We work diligently to resolve any issues families have with their services so that every student gets to school on time,” an education department spokesperson said in a statement. “That’s why we introduced modern GPS tracking for buses, expanded communication tools to families, and made route planning improvements to better meet students’ needs.”
Flaws in the System
However, Gothamist reported in early September that the GPS for school buses in New York City has flaws: drivers and bus companies do not consistently log into the system, which also relies on self-reported inputs. Mia Greenidge is a senior manager for youth transition services at IncludeNYC—an organization helping young people with disabilities—as well as the mother of a 5-year-old kindergartener who uses specialized busing. Her son was dropped off at the wrong school building during the first few days of school, she said.
Personal Experiences!
Another time, Greenidge said her son was on the bus for almost two hours, despite living 30 minutes away from his school. “In trying to follow up with the bus company—the dispatcher or the management at the bus company—I never was able to actually speak to anyone there. So a lot of it was me communicating with the school,” she said. Levine said Advocates for Children of New York has received a lot of complaints about bus services this school year so far, and in 40 cases, had to call the education department to resolve the issue.
Increase in Complaints
Lori Podvesker, director of disability and education policy at IncludeNYC, said the organization has noticed a 20 percent increase in bus complaints compared to the same time last year. Out of 27 calls IncludeNYC received about transportation issues, 13 were about buses that didn’t show up, she said. The education department, meanwhile, said it has received more complaints for no-show buses than late ones this month: 4,476 and 4,270, respectively.
Repercussions for Students
There are repercussions for students when they arrive late to school or back home, advocates and parents say. They may be missing out both on classroom time and on specialized services. Greenidge said her son goes to applied behavior analysis therapy after school. She schedules the appointments with some leeway, but when the bus delays are long, he ends up missing them. “That costs money, because when you have to cancel a session, they still charge you,” she said.
Root Causes of the Problem
For many years, advocates and parents have pointed to the 46-year-old contract between the NYCPS and school bus companies, as well as a shortage of drivers, as root causes of the problem. Sara Catalinotto, co-founder of Parents to Improve School Transportation, told City Limits that the city needs to better recruit and retain drivers, and should encourage more companies to compete for contracts. Advocates are also calling on the city not to extend busing contracts without accountability.
Conclusion
The problem of school bus delays and breakdowns in New York City is a complex issue that affects thousands of students, particularly those with disabilities and living in temporary housing. While the city has introduced some improvements, such as modern GPS tracking and expanded communication tools, there is still much work to be done to ensure that every student can get to school safely and on time. Advocates and parents are calling for greater accountability and improvements to the system, including better recruitment and retention of drivers and more competition among bus companies.
FAQs
Q: How many students ride school buses in New York City?
A: Approximately 150,000 students ride school buses in New York City, including around 66,000 students with disabilities and students living in temporary housing.
Q: What are the main causes of school bus delays and breakdowns in New York City?
A: The main causes of school bus delays and breakdowns in New York City include a 46-year-old contract between the NYCPS and school bus companies, as well as a shortage of drivers.
Q: How can parents submit complaints about school bus services?
A: Parents can submit complaints about school bus services by using ServiceNow to call the OPT Service Desk, using SupportHub to submit online, or sending an email to NYCPS.
Q: What are the repercussions for students when they arrive late to school or back home?
A: Students who arrive late to school or back home may miss out on classroom time and specialized services, and may also experience financial costs, such as having to cancel therapy sessions.
Q: What are advocates and parents calling for to improve school bus services in New York City?
A: Advocates and parents are calling for greater accountability and improvements to the system, including better recruitment and retention of drivers, more competition among bus companies, and an end to the 46-year-old contract between the NYCPS and school bus companies.
