Fairfax County Public Schools Warns of Bus Delays Friday Morning

By Mary Ann Barton and Sherell Williams

Update (1:01 p.m.): Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson John Torre has confirmed that about 150 buses, close to 10 percent of the fleet, were affected this morning.

"We wanted parents to aware of the issues right before school started. My understanding is we are making progress right now," he said. "We've had mechanics in the field throughout the morning trying to get the buses started."

Torre said the mechanical issues were due to a combination of the cold weather and the fact that the buses are kept outdoors.

"We've had people out there starting the buses every day, but they haven't been on the roads for the past three days," he said.

Original article: Officials at Fairfax County Public Schools issued a warning Friday morning to parents and students that they are experiencing significant mechanical problems with some buses across the county Friday morning due to the freezing temperatures.

Schools already are under a two-hour delay Friday due to the weather.

Some of these buses will be late picking up students; some may be very late.  Parents are advised to take precautions to ensure that their children are not standing outside in the cold for extended periods of time.  

Mechanics, transportation supervisors, and drivers are working to the best of their ability to get the buses running and on time.