Columbia school buses running late on icy roads

UPDATE, 11:38 p.m.: All students except one bus full of Two Mile Prairie students have been delivered home.

Columbia Public Schools said a salt truck is working to assist the bus due to the hazardous rural route.

UPDATE 3, 10:15 p.m.: Columbia Public Schools have confirmed all student have been picked up from schools.

Some buses have been rerouted to avoid hazardous conditions. Some alternate buses are on the way to pick up students from buses that have slid off the roadways.

UPDATE 2: Students from three schools are still waiting to travel home from school.

UPDATE 1: Students are still waiting to get home in Columbia after buses faced icy roads.

According to Columbia Public Schools, seven schools still have students that need to be picked up by buses.

These schools include: Hickman, Rock Bridge, Battle, Douglass, Midway Heights Elementary, Shepard Boulevard Elementary and Battle Elementary.

“Students who are waiting at our schools are safe, have had snacks and activities and are supervised by our CPS staff,” said Community Relations Director, Michelle Baumstark.

ORIGINAL: Columbia Public School buses are running late Friday evening, according to district spokesperson Michelle Baumstark.

Baumstark said CPS decided against an early release because of the timing of the weather. She said they wanted to give city crews enough time to clear the roads and by that time, school would have been almost out already.

Baumstark said the buses will be late Friday because they are making sure students get home safe and taking time on the roads. Freezing rain has created slick conditions and caused more than 100 crashes just in the city.

Schools are released in tiers, with the first going around 2 p.m., with high schools being the last. Baumstark said on a normal day, high school buses would not leave until after 4 p.m. Since the first tier will be late returning, Baumstark said the third tier would most definitely be late.

CPS also asked schools to cancel after school activities if they can. Baumstark said the district can not make a blanket cancelation of activities since some may involve non-CPS groups.