By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

LIBERTY TWP. - Bus passes for students transported by Lakota Schools won't be mailed as soon as district officials had hoped.

Lakota spokesman Jon Weidlich said a delay at the printer means the passes won't be mailed to families until next week. They were supposed to have been put in the mail Friday, Weidlich said.

"You should still get your pass before school begins," Weidlich said.

But parents can still get the information, Weidlich said. Bus routes and stops have been posted at each school building.

The information is also on the district's Web site, www.lakotaonline.com. Click on "to Lakota bus stops" under "Urgent Information." A student identification number has to be entered on the Web site to get the information.

"We had 700 people already check online for their bus stops," Weidlich said Friday, one day after the bus routes were posted.

Some bus stops have been moved because the district is not going to stop in cul-de-sacs this year unless there is a safety concern or the child being picked up is a special-needs child.

About 16,000 students will be bused to public and private schools, up from 15,750 a year ago, said Michael Rosenberger, Lakota's director of transportation. The district has 185 routes, up six from last year.