Thousands of students without a bus route in Stafford County

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. - A nightmare is unfolding for thousands of parents in Stafford County, with scores of students without bus transportation to and from school. 

Mountain View High School parent Rita Lung says that she has been providing transportation to and from school for her child, who has special needs. 

"This morning was the third time that I had to play school bus," said Lung. 

She is not alone, and this problem is not unique to this school.

At least 3,000 Stafford County Public Schools students are affected, leaving their families struggling to navigate transportation without bus services. A spokesperson for Stafford Schools confirmed the issue via email, stating that the district is currently working on routing students, and those without routes will not be penalized for attendance.

FOX 5 has learned that a software update, a change in leadership, and a bus driver shortage could be to blame.

Despite the school year starting on Tuesday, some students have not yet attended school due to the lack of transportation. The spokesperson added that the district takes full responsibility for the routing problems and is working diligently to assign routes. The spokesperson also claimed that the buses are running better than they did at the start of last year, with a majority of buses and students arriving on time or even early every day.

In a letter sent home to parents, the acting superintendent apologized and provided an update on the bus route assignments. The letter admitted that despite the district's best efforts, there are still students who have not been assigned a bus route.