TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Try All Routes For Bus Stop Details

ADVERTISEMENT

By JAMIE PILARCZYK

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 17, 2008

TAMPA - Parents who are frustrated in trying to call the school district's Transportation Call Center have other options for finding where the bus will pick up their children Monday morning, when Hillsborough County public schools open.

Spokesman Steve Hegarty said the district's Web site, www.sdhc.k12.fl.us, allows parents to fill out an online Review of Student Eligibility for Bus Stop Assignment form and get an e-mailed response. He said he has filled out the form several times and he has gotten a response within a day.
Hegarty said for parents driving their children to school on the first day, bus stop information will be available directly from the school.

Families complained last week about having trouble getting through to the center's hot line. Hegarty said the 16 lines at the call center received hundreds of calls Saturday. Once the call is picked up at the center, a caller can plan on being on hold an average of 17 minutes before being helped, Hegarty said.

"It's two days before school," Hegarty said. "It was much easier to get through two weeks ago."

He said the nature of the calls make for longer service times, as staffers must research answers for families whose children are dropped off and picked up at two different sites or who have special needs.

"It's not as simple as 'Here's your bus stop,'" he said. "It can be complicated."

The transportation hot line, (813) 982-5500, will be in operation today from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. The district's Web site asks for those having difficulty getting through to be patient and try again later.

Reporter Jamie Pilarczyk can be reached at (813) 259-7661 or jpilarczyk@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT