The Boston school system was scrambling Tuesday to fill an unspecified number of bus routes for a dozen schools that started the year early, after an unusual number of bus drivers were absent, leaving schools, families, and students in the lurch.
Problems with drivers not reporting to work began in the morning and grew worse in the afternoon as temperatures soared into the high 90s. The school system did not say how many drivers were absent.
Some students were stranded at bus stops in the morning. In several cases, schools made a flurry of calls to parents, notifying them that buses might be late in the afternoon or not arrive at all.
The fiasco dampened the first day of school for many students at Boston Collegiate Charter School in Dorchester.