NORTHWEST TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) — A new dedicated morning bus route aims to get students from three nearby neighborhoods to Godby High School on time and ready to learn.
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For decades, students living in the Joe Louis, Griffin Heights and Basin Street neighborhoods faced a transportation gap.
The neighborhoods fall within a two-mile radius of Godby High School, meaning students did not qualify for traditional school bus service.
Godby High Principal Dr. Marcus Scott says many students had to walk to school or rely on public transportation, sometimes arriving late, missing breakfast, and stepping into classrooms after spending time outside in the Florida heat.
Godby senior Taylon Thomas says students felt the toll of that daily commute before they even sat down in their first class.
"You just got to school. You didn't even have time to get into the cafeteria to eat breakfast. And you're sitting in the classroom, and you don't know what to do, and your mind is fuzzy. You're hungry. You're hot, " Thomas said.
Beginning this school year, those students will have a new option, a dedicated morning bus route to Godby High School.
Principal Scott says the route is designed to remove a transportation barrier and help more students arrive ready to learn.
"It's a motivating factor. So being able to have that school bus, they're motivated to get up. If I can just go right up the block to catch a bus to come to school, I'm more motivated to come to school," Scott said.
Scott says he hopes the new route will have a lasting impact on students' academic success.
"And overall affect their GPA, their grades, their overall morale, their school spirit, and then potentially get them across that stage of graduation. So that's the goal, that every small little thing matters in order to get them across the stage, " Scott said.
The bus route is only available in the morning.
Thomas says he believes the route addresses the main problem, which is getting students to school on time. He says many of his peers stay in the area after school, visiting places like Brusters or the nearby Crunch Fitness before making their way home.
For Thomas, the biggest change is knowing more students will have a reliable way to make it into the building each morning.
"A lot of people, like, if they feel like they don't have a ride, they'll just stay home. And I feel like I'm going to see a lot more kids at school." Thomas said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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