KINGSLAND, Ga. — Friday could be a long afternoon for some Camden County students.
The school district is warning parents about bus delays due to a driver shortage and the high school athletic schedule.
The Camden County High School football team's first round of the playoffs are all the way up in Cobb County.
Parents in the car line Wednesday mentioned the size of the football program, band program and cheerleaders requires a lot of buses for a trek like that.
“Everyone’s excited about it and ready to go," said Camden County Schools Parent Ashley Stadelmyer.
Stadelmyer says you can feel the energy around Kingsland with the Camden County High School football team playoff bound.
She won’t be making the trek for the first game in Cobb County, but she feels compelled to do her part to make up for the extra buses the trip requires.
“I am willing to pick up kids in our neighborhood that need to get picked up," said Stadelmyer. "I’ve got a minivan so I can squeeze them in, throw them where they need to go. That way they don’t need to wait forever for the bus.”
Stadelmyer is already coordinating with other parents in her neighborhood after the Camden County School District posted on Facebook warning parents they’re expecting bus delays Friday.
The district recommended parents with schedules that might be impacted contact their “child’s school to make arrangements for picking up your student at dismissal.”
“It’s like a five hour trip, one way, five hours back," said Camden High School Band Parent Zach Elliott.
Elliott says his daughter is in the band and the playoff trips are one of her favorite parts of the year.
He’s relieved the district reallocates buses to get her wherever she needs to go.
“She probably would not make it if it were reliant on me to go," said Elliott.
Depending on the football team’s success, Elliot is expecting bus delays and long carlines for the next few Fridays.
And maybe a long drive in his future, too.
“Maybe if they get another round, definitely if they make it to the finals," said Elliott. "Then I’ll go up there.”
First Coast News reached out to Camden County School's communications department for additional information on which schools will be impacted by the delays and how long the delays are expected to be, but didn't immediately receive a response.