By CHAD COOPER
With the opening of Southern Gap High School less than five weeks away, Buchanan County Public Schools has released its bus routes for the 2026-27 school year.
The transportation plan reflects the county’s new school configuration, with high school students from throughout Buchanan County traveling to Southern Gap High School. In contrast, elementary and middle school students continue to attend Riverview Elementary/Middle School, Council Elementary/Middle School, Hurley Elementary/Middle School, and Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School.
Several routes require students to transfer buses at designated locations before continuing to their schools. Those transfer points include the Buchanan County School Board Central Office, Riverview Elementary/Middle School (REMS), Council Elementary/Middle School (CEMS), Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School (TVEMS), Hurley Square, G&J Grocery, Paul’s Fans, Vansant Church of Christ, Farmers Market, the Food City parking lot across from Pizza Hut, Carter Cat and Rockhouse.
Southern Gap High School will operate from 8:15 a.m. until 2:45 p.m., while the county’s elementary schools will operate from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.
School officials remind parents that all bus routes and pickup times are subject to change before or during the school year. Families are encouraged to review their child’s assigned route before the first day of classes on Friday, Aug. 21.
Grundy Area
Transportation in the Grundy attendance area will be provided by 21 buses serving communities from Breaks and Harman to Slate Creek, Leemaster, Poplar Creek and Southern Gap.
Bus 1 (Traci Boyd) will serve Route 83 from Sunset to Greenbrier Right and Left Forks, then end at Paul’s Fans, transporting elementary students to REMS.
Bus 71 (Charles Boyd) will travel through Breaks, Crow Pass, Happy Hollow, Orchard Road, the Mouth of Doubling Fields and Jess’s Fork before transporting high school students to Southern Gap High School.
Bus 72 (Tommy Crigger) will serve Top of Bull Mountain, Orchard Road, the Mouths of Doubling Fields, Jess’s Fork, Deel Fork and Charlie Hollow, taking students to REMS.
Bus 67 (Julio Dotson) will cover the Mouths of Deel Fork and Charlie Hollow, Main Harman, Belcher’s Fork and Convict Hollow before traveling to REMS.
Bus 17 (Norma Looney) will serve Sunset Hollow and Route 83 to Leemaster, then stop at Vansant Church of Christ for elementary students attending REMS.
Bus 70 (Chad Stevens) will travel Boyd’s Ridge, Union Chapel and Deskins before transporting Southern Gap High School students through Lover’s Gap.
Bus 55 (Mona McClanahan) will serve Bear Branch and War Fork before traveling to Vansant Church of Christ for REMS students.
Bus 35 (Greg Tester) will travel Dryfork, Deel and the Anchorage Shopping Center before continuing to Southern Gap High School through Lover’s Gap.
Bus 61 (Loni Webb) will cover Big Rock, Last House Hollow, Jack’s Creek and Brown’s Bottom before transporting elementary students to REMS and high school students to Southern Gap High School through Poplar Creek.
Bus 63 (Eddie Smith) will serve Conaway and Lynn Camp before taking elementary students to REMS and high school students to Southern Gap High School through Poplar Creek.
Bus 60 (David Owens) will cover Airport Road, Southern Gap Development, Poplar Creek and Wood’s Fork before transporting students to REMS.
Bus 3 (Jerry Stiltner) will travel Stateline No. 2, Mouth of Davis Ridge, Panther Ridge, Mouth of Myrtle Road, Slate Creek and Smith Branch before arriving at the Central Office. Students will continue to Southern Gap High School after REMS.
Bus 69 (Jon Prater) will serve Smith Branch, Stone Coal, Mouth of Lick Branch, Elkins Branch and Slate Creek before arriving at the Central Office. High school students will continue to Southern Gap High School through Lover’s Gap after REMS.
Bus 22 (Jeremy Ward) will transport students from the Central Office to REMS, then continue to Southern Gap High School.
Bus 76 (Preston Hibbitts) will travel Hobbs Branch, Enoch’s Branch, Walnut Street and Slate Creek to Super Dollar before taking elementary students to REMS and high school students to Southern Gap High School.
Bus 20 (Mark Cooper) will serve Lower Mill Branch, Dave’s Branch, Walnut, the Mouth of New House Branch, Hoot Owl and Farmers Market before transporting students to Southern Gap High School through Lover’s Gap.
Bus 56 (Bill Christian) will cover Watkins Branch, Route 460, New People’s, Farmers Market and Poe Town before taking elementary students to REMS and high school students from REMS to Southern Gap High School through Poplar Creek.
Bus 59 (Rick Jackson) will serve Routes 6 and 20, Looney’s Creek and Stiltner’s Creek before transporting students to REMS and Southern Gap High School.
Bus 65 (Doug Thomas) will travel Home Creek and the Left Fork of Home Creek before taking students to REMS and Southern Gap High School.
Bus 62 (Greg Rowe) will serve Little Prater, then the Food City parking lot across from Pizza Hut, before transporting high school students to Southern Gap High School.
Bus 68 (Anthony Church) will travel Leemaster, Red Dirt Road and Mott Branch to the Food City parking lot across from Pizza Hut before taking elementary students to REMS.
Grundy transfer locations include Paul’s Fans (7:20 a.m.), Vansant Church of Christ (7:15 a.m.), Central Office (7:15 a.m.), Farmers Market (7:10 a.m.) and the Food City parking lot across from Pizza Hut (7:25 a.m.).
Council Area
The Council attendance area will be served by six buses transporting students from communities throughout the eastern portion of the county to Council Elementary/Middle School and Southern Gap High School.
Bus 25 (Deanna Keene) will begin at Prater’s Zip In and travel along Paw Paw Road before arriving at G&J Grocery, where high school students will transfer to Southern Gap High School.
Bus 73 (Anthony Barton) will serve the Big Fox, Little Fox and Runyon Hollow communities before arriving at G&J Grocery. Elementary students will continue to Council Elementary/Middle School.
Bus 27 (Derek Ray) will cover Hurricane Creek Road, Rockhouse Branch and Fletcher Hollow before arriving at G&J Grocery, where high school students will continue to Southern Gap High School.
Bus 15 (D.J. Barton) will travel Boyd’s Ridge, Route 600 and Route 80 from G&J Grocery to the County Line Bridge before serving Hollow Poplar, Indian Creek, Lambert Fork and Copperhead. Elementary students will continue to Council Elementary/Middle School, while high school students transfer at G&J Grocery.
Bus 37 (Marlie Ball) will serve Fletcher Ridge, Indian Grave Gap, Stinson Ridge, Grissom Creek and Route 80 before transporting students to Council Elementary/Middle School.
Bus 31 (Terry Austin) will travel Route 80 and Combs Ridge before arriving at Council Elementary/Middle School.
Council transfer locations include G&J Grocery (7:20 a.m.), where Buses 25, 27 and 73 meet, and Council Elementary/Middle School (7:20 a.m.), where Buses 15, 31 and 37 meet.
Hurley Area
The Hurley attendance area is divided into three transportation corridors — Rocklick, Elkins Branch and Rockhouse — with students transferring to Southern Gap High School, Hurley Elementary/Middle School or the Central Office depending on their destination.
Rocklick Corridor
Bus 2 (Serena Ford) will travel the Right Fork of Paw Paw to Justus Grocery before transporting high school students to Southern Gap High School through Rocklick, Poplar Creek and the new road.
Bus 11 (Judy Sargent) will serve the Left Fork of Paw Paw before arriving at Justus Grocery, where elementary students will continue to Hurley Elementary/Middle School.
Bus 42 (Danny Justus) will cover Elk Creek, Mill Creek and Race Fork before arriving at Justus Grocery and continuing to Hurley Elementary/Middle School.
Elkins Branch Corridor
Bus 49 (Trish Justus) will serve the Right and Left Forks of Guesses Fork and Pounding Mill before arriving at Hurley Square, where elementary students will continue to Hurley Elementary/Middle School.
Bus 52 (Morgan Vandyke) will travel Main Lester’s Fork and Davis Fork before arriving at Hurley Square for transportation to Hurley Elementary/Middle School.
Bus 66 (Cheryl Justus) will cover Old Lester’s Fork and Brushy Fork before arriving at Hurley Square. High school students will transfer to the Central Office.
Bus 26 (Scotty Bostic) will transport students from the Central Office to Southern Gap High School through Lover’s Gap.
Rockhouse Corridor
Bus 21 (Scott Embrey) will serve Laurel Creek, Knox and Straight Fork before arriving at Rockhouse. Elementary students will continue to Hurley Elementary/Middle School.
Bus 28 (James Stacy) will travel Hiram Fork and Coon Branch before arriving at Rockhouse. High school students will transfer to the Central Office.
Bus 64 (Brandon Davis) will transport students from the Central Office to Southern Gap High School through Lover’s Gap.
Transfer locations include Justus Grocery (7:15 a.m.), Hurley Square (7:05 a.m.), Rockhouse (7:05 a.m.) and the Central Office (7:20 a.m.) for students continuing to Southern Gap High School.
Twin Valley Area
Twin Valley attendance area buses will serve students throughout the western portion of Buchanan County before transporting them to Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School or Southern Gap High School.
Bus 23 (Alex Rife) will serve Route 460, Route 626, Route 618, Shortt Gap and John Clifton before arriving at Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School. High school students will continue to Southern Gap High School through Lover’s Gap.
Bus 34 (Howie Fuller) will travel Clifton Fork, Ratliff Branch and Keen Mountain before arriving at Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School. High school students will continue to Southern Gap High School through Lover’s Gap.
Bus 57 (Dusty Payne) will cover Compton Mountain, Pea Patch, Wimmer Gap and Contrary before transporting students to Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School.
Bus 48 (Kristen Church) will serve Red Oak, Brown Mountain, Chicken Ridge, White’s Bottom and Spruce Pine before arriving at Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School.
Bus 58 (Carolyn Street) will travel Garden Creek (Drill), Long Branch, Breeden Branch and Old Vandyke Hollow before transporting students to Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School.
Bus 7 (Samantha Justus) will cover Page, Garden Creek and Keen Mountain Camp before arriving at Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School.
Bus 33 (Hayden Fuller) will serve the Mouth of Hale Creek (Dismal), Dismal, Patterson and Big Branch before arriving at Carter Cat. High school students will continue to Southern Gap High School through Lover’s Gap.
Bus 46 (Tom Burniston) will travel Route 460 to Webb Branch before arriving at Carter Cat and continuing to Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School.
Twin Valley transfer locations include Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School, where Buses 23 and 34 arrive by approximately 7:25 a.m. before continuing to Southern Gap High School, and Carter Cat, where Buses 33 and 46 exchange students between 7:20 and 7:25 a.m.
School officials encourage parents and guardians to review the complete transportation schedule carefully before the start of the school year and remind families that pickup times and routes may be adjusted as needed throughout the year. For additional transportation information, parents should contact the Buchanan County Public Schools Transportation Department.
