Nearly every day during sixth hour, students at Edmond Memorial High School hear a message over the intercom, “Students that are supposed to ride Bus 13 will need to ride [insert bus] instead today.”

After hearing the same message day after day for almost the whole school year, everyone is wondering where Bus 13 is. People are talking and conspiring about it, and Student Council even made a sign in the hall saying, “Where is Bus 13?”

Some believe Bus 13 hasn’t been on route due to the bus driver shortage. After March of 2020 (the beginning of COVID-19) the job market severely declined, and there were not enough people to fill jobs in all industries. School districts were also affected by this with a shortage of faculty and staff in all departments. While the bus driver shortage is an issue, it is not the reason for Bus 13’s disappearance.

Students are thinking back to their childhood and joke that Bus 13 is secretly the Magic School Bus. While it is unlikely Ms. Frizzle and her class are taking Bus 13 on their adventures, its disappearance has led people to wonder: where is Bus 13?

The answer to the question on everyone’s mind may not be as exciting as hoped. Bus 13 hasn’t been taking its route due to a repeated cycle of breaking down and needing repairs. Because schools are underfunded, the district may not be as willing to spend money fixing the bus when that money is needed for other things. The underfunding has led to passengers having to take a different route to and from the school which causes delays for many students. Public school districts need more funding to make a better and safer experience for both the students and teachers.

Hopefully Bus 13 will be back to helping students arrive home safely in the near future.

Contact Kelsi Seltenreich at [email protected]