LaFAYETTE – Students head to school Thursday and 46 Chambers County school buses will travel more than 2,000 miles of county roads, taking about 3,600 students to schools, according to the Chambers County School District.

That many buses on the road increases the chances that those on their morning commute will encounter a few vehicles transporting students.

“At the beginning of each school year, it usually takes at least a week for traffic to adjust to the presence of school buses,” said Mike Frazier, outgoing transportation director for the Chambers County School District in a news release. “We suggest that people who plan to be on the roads during  the same time buses are running to leave home earlier than usual to allow for minor delays while children are boarding and exiting.”

He said it’s also important to remember that state law requires traffic in both directions to stop anytime a school bus activates its red flashing lights.

“The only exception involves a divided highway that contains a median or some other structure separating opposite lanes,” he said.

The district said students that didn’t ride the school bus last year will need to contact their child’s school to arrange for pickup.

“Almost all of our drivers are returning from last year, so we have an experienced group of excellent people who do a great job,” Frazier said in the news release. “If a child mistakenly gets on the wrong bus, the driver will still get them safely home regardless of where they live.”

Frazier will officially retire in a couple of months from his post, making way for former Huguley Elementary School principal Benji Mitchum to assume the position.