MINNEAPOLIS — As the temps drop to dangerous lows and the struggle to find drivers for school bus routes continues, Minneapolis is taking steps to keep kids safe.
On Thursday, all after school activities and Early Childhood Family Education classes are canceled.
Transportation to senior varsity athletics will still be available, Minneapolis Kids will still be open and adult evening Community Education classes are still on schedule, unless otherwise arranged by the classes' instructor.
Families were told in a letter from Minneapolis Public Schools that they should be ready for potential bus delays, ranging from 30 minutes to as long as three hours. Early morning robocalls and texts will be sent to alert families affected by these scheduling changes.
Students who get to school late because of delayed buses will be excused.
Safety tips from MPS and more winter weather information is available here.
Saint Paul Public Schools are also warning families to expect a shortage of school buses, but their shortage is related to the ongoing staffing issues experienced by school districts across the country.
In a letter to families sent Wednesday, SPPS asked families to start making plans for alternative transportation to and from school, in case their bus is canceled.
Since the beginning of the school year, MPS, SPPS and many other Minnesota schools have seen these shortages in drivers. Districts have shifted the start time of classes, rented vehicles to get students to and from their classes and activities, and even offered financial incentives to help parents drive their students in place of taking a bus.
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