OLIVE BRANCH, Miss — Parents at one Desoto County School are wondering if their children will have to wait more than 30 minutes for the bus Tuesday morning. Some of these Overpark Elementary parents who live in the Fox Creek Neighborhood tell us this has been going on for several weeks.
"There are several small kids that have to stand there, alone, for 30 and 40 minutes waiting on a bus," Stephanie Coppage said.
Coppage’s two kids ride the bus to Overpark Elementary School in Olive Branch. She said she first noticed there was an issue during the first full week of school.
"August 8 we realized the bus was coming really late, the ninth it didn't show up, the 10th it showed up almost around almost 8:40 a.m. So on the 10th, I called transportation," she explained
When she called the transportation department, Coppage said she was told route 144 didn't have a morning drive so a high school bus driver is doing a double route.
"She will pick up the high school students, and go through wherever she has to go drop them off then go back and pick the babies up," Coppage said.
Parents said the bus is supposed to pick up the children between 7:35 a.m. and 7:40 a.m. We timed the bus Friday morning. We got there at 7:30 a.m., and the bus didn't come until 8:11 a.m. School starts at 8:30 and there are at least two more stops after Coppage's children stop.
"Not informing us of the situation, actually put our kids in danger," Coppage said.
Jerrad Kendall's 8-year-old daughter is on this route too.
He said, "there's been no word on how long this may last, and that leaves a lot of people trying to find ways to get their kids to school."
Kendall said he waits with her, but with the bus 30 minutes behind schedule, it's making him late for work.
"I wish the school district could have put out some kind of communication at least after day two or three."
We've reached out to the DeSoto County Schools spokesperson and the transportation director several times last week, but haven't received a response. We will continue to reach out for information.