Some adjustments were made Wednesday to alleviate delay issues that occurred for a number of buses in the Butler School District on Tuesday, the first day of school.

Several parents of middle school students reported their children got home after 5 p.m. Tuesday, more than an hour and a half after dismissal time.

Dale Lumley, superintendent, said secondary students were told Wednesday to promptly get onto their buses, and bus drivers were told to be at the school earlier than scheduled to prevent the same issues from occurring.

Delays at the intermediate school on Tuesday ended up delaying about 20 buses at the middle school.

“We hope to have most or all of that ironed out,” Lumley said Wednesday.

Other routine adjustments were made to routes, which can be changed throughout the year, if necessary.

“We’re not doing anything dramatically different than we’d normally do, adding some stops, moving some stops,” he said. “We always make adjustments to increase their efficiency.”

The district had many new bus routes because of the consolidation of buildings that took effect this week.

Five elementary schools closed in June. The remaining six elementary schools — Center Township, Connoquenessing, Emily Brittain, McQuistion, Northwest and Summit — have a new kindergarten through fourth grade configuration.

Fifth and sixth graders attend a middle school, which previously was the junior high building.

The secondary buildings have also changed with the intermediate housing seventh through ninth grade and the senior high housing 10th through 12th grades.

Brenda Collins, district transportation director, said she had hundreds of voice-mail messages on her phone from the issues on Tuesday, the first day of the new school year.

“We don’t leave this office until we know the students have arrived home,” Collins said. “We apologize, but we’re doing the best that we can.”

Some parents took to Butler Eagle’s Facebook page, writing that there have been improvements on Wednesday, but it’s still a work in progress.

“My daughter’s bus is right on time in the morning,” said Amy Sepanian. “However in the afternoon, it didn’t leave the Middle School until 4 p.m. again today. The route itself went a little better than yesterday. But not much.”

However, Julie Fitzpatrick said this is an issue that happens every year.

“The bus has never been on time, especially on the first day of school, or the first week for that matter. … Is it inconvenient? Yes. Is this a change that needs changes to work out the kinks? Yes,” she wrote.

Butler Mayor Tom Donaldson said he also received complaints about school bus routes in the city. He was particularly concerned about a bus stop in front of My Buddy’s bar on Pillow Street.

“You don’t have a grade school or any other bus stop in front of a bar,” Donaldson said. “If anything happens or if nothing happens, it’s not a good place for a bus stop.”

While Collins drove to the area and said it was the safest place for a stop before the school year started, Lumley said he would also review the area.

“We can look at a different corner, but kids may be walking further,” he said.

A supervisor for Valley Lines, the school district’s bus provider, said delays happen every year during the first week of school. She said the company receives any route changes from the school district.