The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district shared with parents that it will begin a new bus service in its afternoons and evenings to encourage student participation in more afterschool activities.

In a message shared with middle school and high school families on Tuesday, the district said that as of Wednesday, it will now run additional bus routes from every middle and high school in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The goal is to make transportation no longer a barrier for any students to take part in sports, clubs, theatre, arts programs and other afterschool resources.

“No student should have to decline participation because the ride home might be a question,” Andy Jenks, the district’s chief communication officer, said. “So now, after things like a practice, rehearsal or club meeting, all our students at the middle and high school levels can hop on a CHCCS school bus that will take them into various neighborhoods within walking distance of a home address.”

The announcement represents CHCCS’ continued improvement with bus driver availability after suffering several shortages in late 2022 and early 2023. Like many other districts, there were many routes that had no primary driver assigned due to vacancies. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools then raised its starting bus driver pay rate to $20 an hour — which helped bring in some new hires and get the district to where all routes had individual drivers to start the 2023-24 academic school year.

CHCCS said these new evening bus routes will run Monday through Thursday. One bus per school will leave each middle school at 5:35 p.m. each day before traveling to a high school and leaving that campus at 6:35 p.m. Students will be required to have a bus pass to board an afterschool bus, which can be obtained by talking with officials at individual students’ schools.

Below are a list of the middle school and high school routes that are operational for afterschool buses, and their various stops:

Middle Schools

Bus departs Culbreth Middle School 5:35 P.M. (loading at 5:30)

  • Brandywine Road & Princeton Drive
  • Bayberry Drive & Rhododendron Court
  • Greenwood Road & Old Mill Road
  • Circle Park Place & Sprunt Street
  • Final stop: Bus arrives at Carrboro High School at approximately 6:24 p.m.

Bus departs McDougle Middle School 5:35 P.M. (loading at 5:30)

  • Morris Grove Elementary (215 Eubanks Road)
  • Meadow Lane & Rollingwood Road
  • Southern Drive & Terrace View Drive
  • Stonegate Drive & Woodgate Drive
  • Final stop: Bus arrives at Carrboro High School at approximately 6:18 p.m.

Bus departs Phillips Middle School 5:35 P.M. (loading at 5:30)

  • S. Estes Drive at Ridgefield Apts.
  • Ephesus Elementary (1495 Ephesus Church Road)
  • Jackie Robinson Street & Legion Road
  • Booker Creek Road & Foxwood Drive
  • Perry Creek Drive & Chippoaks Drive
  • Final stop: Bus arrives at East Chapel Hill High School at approximately 5:56 p.m.

Bus departs Smith Middle School 5:35 P.M. (loading at 5:30)

  • Commons Way Drive & Lake Hogan Farm Road
  • Dogwood Drive & Westwood Drive
  • Hargraves Community Center (216 N. Roberson Street)
  • Eubanks Road & Myrica Street
  • Whitfield Road & Oakstone Drive
  • Final stop: Bus arrives at Chapel Hill High School at approximately 6:30 p.m.

 

High Schools

Bus departs Carrboro High School 6:35 P.M. (loading at 6:30)

  • Hargraves Community Center (216 N. Roberson Street)
  • Legion Road at Greenfield Place Apts. (200 Formosa Lane)
  • MLK Boulevard & Banks Drive
  • Final stop: Chapel Hill High School (9217 Seawell School Road) at approximately 7:25 p.m.

Bus departs Chapel Hill High School 6:35 P.M. (loading at 6:30)

  • Carrboro Plaza Park & Ride (Old Fayetteville Road)
  • Jones Ferry Road at Ashbrooke Apts. (601 Jones Ferry Road)
  • Lincoln Center (750 S. Merritt Mill Road)
  • Final stop: Carraway Village Park & Ride (Eubanks Road) at approximately 7:25 p.m.

Bus departs East Chapel Hill High School 6:35 P.M. (loading at 6:30)

  • Legion Road at Greenfield Place Apts. (200 Formosa Lane)
  • Willow Drive & Connor Drive
  • Glenwood Elementary (2 Prestwick Road)
  • Final stop: Lincoln Center (750 S. Merritt Mill Road) at approximately 7:25 p.m.

CHCCS said on Wednesday that these routes could be adjusted in the future depending on ridership numbers. Additionally, misconduct or abuse or bus drivers, passengers, or the vehicles will not be tolerated and could be cause of losing the afterschool bus privilege.

Afterschool bus information can be found here on the CHCCS website.

Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill.

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