District changes busing schedule
This picture shows children entering the school bus.
Letters have been sent home notifying students’ guardians of changes happening to bus schedules. Buses have changed their scheduled pick-up and drop-off times. The letter also notifies guardians that audio and video recording may be being used on their buses.
Those driven to school will remain unaffected by these changes.
These took effect on Dec. 9, 2014. Multiple buses have been changed by this.
“I think there are a total of approximately eight buses affected,” Principal Lori Mangan said.
Some buses were having difficulty sticking to the arrival and pick up times.
“We had some Amtran buses that were arriving between 10 after three and a quarter after three,” Mangan said. “Obviously the students had to wait outside in inclimate weather. Those buses were doing runs for the BG (Bishop Guilfoyle) school prior to that, and they were having to take those students home. By then it was well past our dismissal time. It has tremendously helped our issue of the students having to wait for their buses in the afternoon.”
The problems with the arrival and departure times is related to the Bishop Guilfoyle school bus dismissal.
“There’s a shuttle bus, a shuttle bus that’s yellow and a shuttle bus for Amtran, that goes to BG and picks those students up. It shuttles them to the high school (AAHS) or the junior high (AAJHS). They then remain on those buses or get off and get onto a different bus that is lined up at the high school-junior high school complex,” Mangan said.
Amtran, the Student Transportation System and Kathy Hazenstab have been consulted to about the issues.
“We have been talking to our transportation department and Amtran for quite some time about this. It was with communication with Amtran officials, our Student Transportation System, as well as Kathy Hazenstab, who works and oversees the transportation here at the district,” Mangan said.
The buses are still in the same lineup at the junior high and high school.
The buses have had video recording for several years. Now, they have the technology to record audio. Not every bus will be constantly recording audio.
BRYCEN LEBERFINGER • Jan 21, 2015 at 1:31 pm
Just because of a schedule change? Do you really think that is going to work, especially since it is starting to do that four letter word that everyone likes: SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KURTIS GRAY • Jan 21, 2015 at 1:30 pm
I think that they should leave the schedule the same. When they changed the times kids could miss their buses because of not getting to the bus stop on time. This may cause some students to walk to school because of parents working, and if they have to walk then the students still have to deal with the weather conditions.
ANTHONY MAZOFF • Jan 21, 2015 at 1:28 pm
It’s the fact that school district is taking action to prevent kids and teens from having to wait nearly a half hour in cold weather after dismissal to get a bus ride home makes me happy. Sure, maybe they take longer to get here, or they’re just not on time all the time, but at least kids don’t have to wait in cold weather freezing!
TRE STILLMAN • Jan 21, 2015 at 11:07 am
I don’t agree with this new idea. Before almost no kids were late who rode buses, but now they’re going to have to change their morning schedule. Even though I don’t ride a bus, I know kids who do that wait 10-15 minutes and now with the new change they might have to wait even longer.
BRANDON GOOD • Jan 21, 2015 at 8:52 am
I don’t agree with this new bus schedule change. I liked how they used to pick us up later and the bus was almost never late. I think they should pick a time and stick with it.
SHAINA LEAR • Jan 21, 2015 at 8:45 am
I don’t think they should change the bus schedule because kids would have to wake up earlier than there suppose to. If the bus is late then there stuck standing in the cold weather waiting for the bus to show up. I think they should just stay with the time there suppose to pick the students up.
CHARLES MURTAGH • Jan 21, 2015 at 8:04 am
I don’t like that the bus schedule is changing. I think they should pick a time and stick with it
BENJAMIN PARRISH • Jan 21, 2015 at 7:59 am
This is not a good idea. Kids have to wake up earlier and if the bus is late then they have to wait in the cold weather. Most people were happy with the original bus schedule including me.
KONNER MCCULLEY • Jan 21, 2015 at 7:54 am
I do no think this is a good idea because some kids may not make it to the bus because they are late. I ride a bus but my bus times haven’t changed. Many kids will probably be late to school because they have been waking up at a certain time and no they have to change their times to wake up.
ISAAC KORMANSKI • Jan 21, 2015 at 1:33 pm
I do not think that changing the bus schedule was a good idea. Now kids have to stand outside longer now before they changed the schedule.
JOSEPH PARISI • Jan 21, 2015 at 7:54 am
I think that they need to change the bus schedule back. If kids are waiting 10-25 minutes for a bus in cold weather, they really need to change it back.