Wake County school buses may be able to drop kids at home daycare centers next year, if a policy change being considered by the school board is adopted.

The current policy says that students must get on and off the bus at the same stop. That stop is usually the student's home address, but school board members have asked the Transportation department to look at making exceptions to that rule for children who need after-school care.

At a meeting on Tuesday, school board members expressed concern that children who go home to grandparents' houses and other home care settings might be excluded by a policy requiring stops only at state-regulated daycare facilities.

"The fewer exceptions the better," said Don Haydon, Chief Facilities and Operations Officer for Wake County Schools. "That way, if there is a substitute bus driver or if there is another change, there is no question about where that child gets off. This is one of those operations where 100 percent accuracy is the only acceptable answer."

The policy may also be changed to allow parents to request a different stop occasionally for specific reasons ranging from a family emergency to a sleepover with a friend. Some schools already allow the practice. If it is approved, parents or guardians likely would have to send in a written note for approval from the principal.

"The school system transports about 75,000 students a day, and we know that there are 75,000 different situations," said Haydon. "So it's a balance between customer service and safety and efficiency of operation."

A final decision on the proposed changes will be made in June.