JAY – Parents and grandparents spoke out Wednesday against the school system’s consolidating bus runs from two to one for students in kindergarten through grade 12.
Currently, the middle and high school students travel on the same buses, and the elementary school children travel on another run.
The Jay School Committee held a meeting to listen to comments on the proposal. It’s expected to make a decision on the plan on Nov. 3.
Jay is considering the proposal as a way to save fuel costs, ease overcrowding on buses and to have a uniform school day.
People voiced concerns about having their young children learning obscene language and about sex and drugs from older students on the school bus. Other concerns included young children starting school an hour earlier and not having a second adult on the buses.
Marie Jones said her child would be exhausted after getting up earlier and then riding a school bus for 50 minutes before arriving at school.
“Even if it’s a shorter run, it’s still getting up too stinking early,” Jones said.
Larry White Sr., a grandfather and the Jay police chief, said, “I have a lot issues with this. I think it’s a safety issue. … I think you’re asking for more harassment and bullying. … Cameras are nice but they’re reactive, not proactive.”
Dianna Ladd’s voice trembled as she struggled to hold her composure as she spoke about her various concerns of safety and loss of innocence for her young son.
John Beaulieu said property taxes went down this year but he would rather pay the same rate as last year than pay higher costs of child care.
Several people applauded him.
“We could look at saving money but not at the risk of our children,” Rae-Ellen Roy said.
Only a couple of the 60 or so people at the meeting spoke in favor of the concept, though Superintendent Robert Wall said most elementary school teachers favored it.
However, transportation coordinator Sue Weston said bus drivers didn’t like the idea.
The plan Wall proposed would cut the number of bus trips from 14 to 11 using eight buses. Two of the buses would do a second run to congested student areas. One of the bus trips is a late bus.
Wall proposed that cameras be installed on seven buses at a one-time cost of $14,000 rather than paying $24,800 for adults to monitor each run. Three buses already have cameras that may be monitored via a computer off-site.
About 66 percent of the students – or 646 of them – ride buses, Wall said, though that could change with the increased price of gas.
The two-bus-run system is strained, with 50 percent of the students sitting three to a seat, and with a one-bus-run system, there should be more room for students, he said.
The buses traveled 133,236 miles between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005, with 102,010 of those miles to and from school. The total cost of fuel for last year was $54,627, including $41,824 for runs to and from school.
The school system needs to buy a bus regardless of whether the runs are consolidated, Wall said. Three buses were destroyed in a fire this summer and only two were replaced.
Bus staff would also be affected, with work hours being reduced, though the school system would save $6,115. The overall savings for this school year would be $4,949.
School Committee member Tammy Dwinal-Shufelt asked people to suggest ideas on how to resolve some of the situations they face. She said they could send e-mails through the Jay School Department’s Web site.
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