Upper Marlboro, MD – Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) announced a major turnaround in its transportation system after the first week of school left roughly 10,000 students waiting for bus assignments. The district’s new acting director of transportation, Dr. Mark Fossett, a former chief operating officer for PGCPS, is leading a transition team that has already cleared the backlog and is working to prevent future disruptions.
Leadership change and immediate action
On Sunday, the district confirmed that Keba Baldwin stepped down as director of transportation. Dr. Fossett was tapped to serve as acting director while a permanent replacement is sought. “Our responsibility now is to stabilize the system, strengthen customer service and address the underlying operational issues that contributed to the challenges we experienced during the opening of school,” said Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph in a statement.
Backlog cleared and routes updated
During the weekend, a 27‑member surge team worked around the clock to assign routes to the thousands of students who had been left without transportation. Drivers are scheduled to begin navigating the updated routes on Monday morning. The district also entered a multi‑week optimization phase aimed at reducing long ride times and correcting stop‑location errors.
New tools for families
To close the communication gap that left many parents uncertain about arrival times, PGCPS is rolling out an automated phone‑tracking system overseen by the district’s family‑advocate office. In addition, the district will host a telephone town hall for families on September 2 at 6 p.m. to answer lingering questions and gather feedback.
Ongoing support
The surge team will remain in place to handle routing requests from new enrollments and address any changes that arise as the school year progresses. District officials emphasized that the recent actions are part of a broader effort to improve reliability, safety and parental confidence in the school‑bus system.
Community impact
For families across Prince George’s County, the resolution of the bus backlog means a return to routine mornings and reduced stress for working parents. By prioritizing clear communication and swift operational fixes, the district aims to restore trust and ensure that students can focus on learning rather than transportation uncertainty.
Original reporting: Arlington County | FOX 5 DC — read the source article.
