As the Gwinnett communities get ready for another school year to begin on Monday, August 5, Gwinnett County school bus drivers will hit the road ahead of time to prepare families for school bus riding safety.

Gwinnett County students and parents will start noticing school buses driving routes in their neighborhoods starting Tuesday, July 30. All GCPS bus drivers will run their assigned routes during actual drive times in the mornings and afternoons, beginning Tuesday, July 30, through Friday, August 2. Parents and students should look for their school’s name which will be displayed on a card in the bus window to help parents identify their child’s bus. (Note: The practice runs will be limited on days schools do registration as drivers take part in back-to-school activities at local schools and participate in mandatory safety training sessions).

Fast facts about GCPS transportation services (based on the 2018-2019 school year)

  • Gwinnett transports more than 133,660 students twice a day and is the 3rd largest transporter of students in the country
  • Operates more than 1,980 school buses
  • Drives 8,167 runs per day
  • Has 45,076 bus stops
  • Drives more than 131,000 miles per day (more than 30 round trips to Los Angeles per day)
  • Drives nearly 24 million miles per year

Plan for additional time on the first few days of school.

On the first few days of school, Gwinnett school officials ask that parents have students at the bus stop approximately 15 minutes before their scheduled bus arrival. In addition, plan for routes to run a little slower during the first few days as drivers will go through additional procedures before releasing students at their bus stops to ensure the safety of students, especially young students who are new bus riders. This means that many buses may run behind schedule the first few days, especially on the afternoon routes.

If a child does not get off his or her bus at the scheduled bus stop, parents or guardians should call their local school. If they can’t reach the school, they may call transportation at 770-513-6686.

Number to call regarding special education transportation questions and services: 770-513-6881.