Many students who live near Eagle Lake can expect to take a detour through Issaquena County on their way to school.

Approximately 60 students from Redwood Elementary, Warren Central Junior High and Warren Central High School will begin a new bus route, beginning Thursday morning, Vicksburg Warren School District Superintendent Chad Shealy said.

The announcement of the new route came soon after the City of Vicksburg and Warren County notified Vicksburg Warren School District that Mississippi 465 would close Wednesday at 6 p.m.

“Instead of coming down that highway, they’re going to head across the levee road, and then when we get on U.S. 61 North in Issaquena County, we’ll come down and drop off at Redwood,” he said.

As an added safety measure, sheriff’s deputies will escort buses from Yore country Store on Mississippi 465 to U.S. 61 North.

“(The sheriff’s deputies) are going to be there just to make sure we don’t run off the road or to be there if anything happens.”
Because Eagle Lake is not facing evacuation, Shealy predicts most of the students will still be in school without interruption.

“It’s not going to affect the pickup or the time, but it’ll increase the drive by a little bit because we’ve got to go north to come back south,” he said. “We’re working with our cafeterias, and we’re going to give a handout to those kids on those buses who are affected today, and we’re going to put it on our Facebook and our website to try to let everyone know.”

Communications with Emergency Management officials has led Shealy to believe the new bus route should be in effect for less than one month.

“Whenever they open that road back up is when we’ll get back on the road,” he said.

As for the schools, Redwood Elementary is the only building projected to be near flood waters.

“Our levee system and pumps are ready if it happens to arrive at Redwood,” he said. “The level that it’s projected to crest at, it looks like we’re going to be OK, so that’s some good news for us. We’re watching it every day.”