Drivers should be prepared for changing transportation patterns caused by the opening of new schools and the return of school buses to the roadways transporting students to 52 year-round elementary and middle schools with the new school year beginning July 7.

There will be three new schools - Banks Road Elementary, Herbert Akins Road Elementary and Lake Myra Elementary - open July 7. The arrival of school staff, hundreds of parents transporting children and school buses running new routes to school will have an impact on traffic near the schools.

Banks Road Elementary is located at 10225 Chambers Road in Raleigh, not far from the main campus of Wake Technical Community College. Herbert Akins Road Elementary is located at 2255 Herbert Akins Road, Fuquay-Varina. Lake Myra Elementary is located at 1300 Elk Falls Drive, Wendell.

Parents are encouraged to visit our Transportation website at www.wcpss.net/transportation to find answers to questions regarding services due to the high volume of calls the departments receives the first couple weeks of school. Should you still have questions, we can be reached at (919) 856-8050. We will have additional operators during this time period to take and return calls. Should you need to leave a message, the department will return your call within 24 hours.

Bus routes for the 52 year-round schools are online at www.wcpss.net/school-directory/bus-routes/. Bus routes for traditional calendar schools will be updated online in early August. Other information regarding transportation services can be found on the Transportation website, such as how to request services, forms and board policies related to transportation services.

Helping youngest riders

Kindergartners and first graders who ride the bus will be given name tags for the first 20 days of school. Schools will place name tags on students before boarding the afternoon bus. Tags will include student name, school name and phone number, bus route number and bus stop location. Parents are encouraged to teach children to know their home address, phone number and bus route name. Help prepare children for the new experience of riding the bus to school.

The Wake County Public School System provides bus transportation to all base students in the system who live one-and-a-half miles or more from school and to students with identified special needs. The system's transportation department is committed to providing these students with safe, efficient and reliable transportation service that contributes to their overall academic success.

The start of the school year is a challenging time for the WCPSS Transportation Department. Transportation planners created routes for the new year by looking at the students who were transported the prior year and obtaining new information from WCPSS Growth Management of students enrolled for this school year. The Transportation Department creates new routes based on their expectation of student ridership.

The first week of school, parents and students are making decisions about the best use of buses to get to and from school. As families make decisions about their use of buses, the Transportation Department adapts routes to meet the riders' needs. As families finalize decisions about their use of bus service, bus routes are finalized. This process generally takes about two weeks.

By the end of August when all schools are in session, Wake County Public School System drivers will be behind the wheels of 900 buses transporting approximately 75,000 students safely each day.