The era of door-to-door service in Gainesville City Schools is over.

When the 2003-04 school year starts Friday, parents of students in the system should no longer expect their child's yellow bus to roll up in front of their mailbox.

The school system's addition of two elementary schools on opposite sides of town and a new policy of providing free transportation to the child's elementary school of choice, no matter where they live in the city, have prompted the change.

"It's not efficient stopping at every house. We've had to consolidate bus stops," said Curtis Bibb, assistant superintendent of administrative services.

Melissa Wade, who is about to start her fifth year of driving a bus for the system, said she is ready for the challenge. "I enjoy driving and I enjoy the kids," she said.

Bibb urged parents to find out before Friday where their child's bus stop is located and what times they will be picked up and dropped off.

Parents can learn about routes from their child's school, and the system's five elementary schools are holding open houses today and Thursday.

The school system has set up "transportation zones," or areas where children will bused to a specific school.

Parents can opt to send their child to a school outside their transportation zone. But the child must first take the bus to the school in their zone, then take another bus to their school of choice.

Nearly 600 of the system's nearly 2,600 elementary-age children are going to an out-of-zone school. That number surprised Superintendent Steven Ballowe.

"It looks like people really took advantage of choice," he said.

The system also has parents like Cheryl Harr, who plans to drop her children off at Enota Elementary. Harr said her decision on which school her children should attend was largely a matter of convenience, as she lives near the school.

But she said she also favors the school's program of Multiple Intelligences, which teaches students in different ways, such as verbal, visual and musical.

Janice Burns, director of maintenance and transportation, said the school plans to bus 2,300 elementary children in 2003-04. She noted that middle and high school students won't see any route changes.

The system has 37 routes overall, including five routes for special-needs students.

To create the new routes, the school system used a computer program known as VersaTrans. The Hall County School System also uses VersaTrans in plotting its bus routes and used it this past year to redraw attendance zones for five North Hall elementary schools.

With the program, the school is able to determine exactly where students should be picked up and when. The school system will know how many students will be picked up at each bus stop and the exact distances between each stop.

Still, with all the technology that's available to them, school officials said they realize the routes may need adjusting, especially in such an overhaul that has taken place this year.

"We're embracing change, but change may not be perfect that very first week," Bibb said.

The school system has developed a system of hearing transportation concerns.

Parents can request a change any Monday through Thursday through the school system office or their child's school. A committee will meet each Thursday to consider appeals and notify the parents and school on Friday of their decision. The change would take affect the following Monday.

The school system needs to carefully consider each request because one change "might cause a ripple effect for other families," Bibb said. "We need to look at the big picture."

Burns said she hopes families will work with the school system in adjusting to the route changes.

"There will be some dilemmas, but I believe that with all the leadership we have in the schools, we will pull it off," she said.

The first day of school may be especially hectic, officials said. The system will have emergency vehicles in place and substitute drivers on call.

"We will make sure all children are taken to where they need to be," Bibb said.