CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) buses were rolling again Tuesday after a bumpy start to the school year.
Some parents told NBC Charlotte their children didn't get home until 8 p.m Monday.
"I was not even sure if the bus was going to come," one parent said.
Parents were hoping for a smoother ride on Tuesday.
"I realize that these first few weeks, couple of weeks, hopefully not longer than that, they're growing pains," said Holly Wood.
Wood's son is a 6th grader who rides a bus to his magnet school. His ride was so late on Monday, he missed two classes.
"I know CMS doesn't want that; the schools don't want that," Wood said.
The 30-minute bus ride home took an hour and a half.
CMS superintendent Dr. Clayton Wilcox admitted there were some major delays across the district Monday.
"On the very first day, there are challenges," he said.
School officials said some drivers have multiple routes. If there's a delay at the first one, it's easy for them to fall behind.
"When it's your child, I understand the impatience, but I would ask them to think carefully about the fact that we're transporting over 100,000 kids. We're making 60-something thousand stops over the course of the day," Dr. Wilcox said.
Wood decided the wait wasn't worth it on Tuesday. She skipped the bus and drove her son to school instead.
"I'm just trying to be patient and having faith that the school will figure it out," said Wood.
CMS tweeted about "continued reduction in travel time" around 8 p.m. Tuesday -- saying drop-offs were done by 7 p.m. on the second day.