OXFORD — A broken-down bus contributed to a traffic jam Wednesday afternoon at Oxford Elementary School as the year’s first day of classes came to an end.

Oxford Police Chief Mike Ward said the first day of school often sees traffic problems outside of area schools and this year, a few extra factors added to the confusion.

“We have a lot more parents dropping off kids than we’ve had in the past,” Ward said. “And the bus breaking down didn’t help.”

On top of that, Oxford, like many other school districts, has found itself experiencing a shortage of bus drivers this year.

The traffic around the school on Route 121 in the village got particularly heavy about 3 p.m., just as the children were being released. No serious problems arose as a result of the traffic jam, Ward said, but the process was a little bit slower than it will be in the future.

“It’s not a common occurrence,” Ward said. “I don’t see this happening for much longer. We want things to run smoothly and we’ll work all of this out.”

School Administrative District 17 Superintendent Monica Henson said Wednesday that she got a few angry emails from parents about the traffic tie-up.


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