Watauga County Schools using community bus stops for safe return to class [Video]

WATAUGA COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) – Students who attend Watauga County Schools will return to class Thursday for the first time in nearly four weeks.

They have been out since late September, when Helene devasted parts of western North Carolina.

Last week, the district worked on a plan to get students to and from school safely as many roads remain unstable and in disrepair. Superintendent Dr. Leslie Alexander said that because of the damage, buses cannot rely on all roads.

To reopen safely, school leaders have worked tirelessly with parents, the Department of Transportation, as well as local businesses and property owners to come up with a workaround. The solution they came up with is “community bus stops.

The community bus stops are made up of 42 businesses and properties off main roads, that provide structurally sound routes to schools. Stops also have enough space for parents to park and for buses to turn around.

As reopening plans were developed, Watauga County …