JAY – The School Committee has have already made changes to a proposed student transportation policy and have two more readings before they consider approving it.

The panel also approved a job for a four-hour bus driver on Thursday to help alleviate transportation concerns over loss of education time that appeared in the first couple of weeks of school, Chairman Mary Redmond-Luce said Sunday.

The school system has eliminated four-and-a-half bus driver/custodians in the past 10 years but never downsized the bus routes or buildings and grounds that needed to be maintained, she said.

This puts back a part-time position, she said.

The student transportation policy does not outline how far a student must live to get bus transportation to school.

The new policy being proposed, which Redmond-Luce stressed may continue to change until it is finalized, outlines walking and transportation distances.

Initially, the proposed policy stated that elementary students in grades two to six are entitled transportation between home and school within the town if they live more than mile from school, and students in grades seven through 12 are entitled to transportation if they live more than 1 mile from school.

The proposed policy stated that students in grades seven through 12 may be required to walk 1 mile to a regularly established school bus route or pre-designated bus pick-up if in the opinion of the transportation director, conditions require that to take place.

Students in pre-kindergarten to grade one would be transported as close as practical to their residence or child care place. However, they may be required to walk to an established bus stop if it is deemed by the transportation director to be impractical because of unsafe circumstances.

School Committee members amended the numbers Thursday, except for pre-K to grade one, in the proposed policy to state that students in grades two to six would be entitled to transportation if they live more than one-third mile from school and students in grades seven to 12 are entitled to a school bus ride if they live more than a mile from school, Superintendent Robert Wall said Friday.

The committee also put in an appeal process and a 10-day parent notification provision of bus transportation changes, Wall said.

Redmond-Luce said the appeal process would give parents who don’t agree with the transportation arrangement a way to appeal it.

The policy also addresses health, hazardous walking conditions and child care locations.

Wall said he expects a presentation on the impacts of walking distances and consolidation of stops at the School Committee’s 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, meeting at the middle school.