ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — Thousands more local students are heading back to school. Elkhart, Plymouth and Penn Harris Madison students all started Wednesday morning. And there is concern about busing in the P-H-M district. Some parents didn't know what time their student was supposed to catch the bus.

P-H-M Transportation Director Henry Lohmeyer told WSBT the district's printing service had equipment errors and the letters weren't mailed out until Monday.

“We had our bus drivers calling families [yesterday] to verify where their students should be this morning,” said P-H-M spokesperson Theresa Carroll. “We’re hoping that families will have a little patience, the first few days are always a challenge.”

Caroll said students should be at their bus stops at least 10 minutes early to make sure they don’t miss the bus. If you need to check your child’s route, call (574) 258-9565.

Transportation Director Henry Lohmeyer said the P-H-M school corporation covers more than 100 square miles, from the Michigan state line to the Wakarusa area. Lohmeyer also said coordinating buses through that large area can be a challenge of its own.

"[The area has] a lot of small neighborhoods, a lot of very tiny streets, a lot of cul-de-sacs we have to navigate around,” he said.