BTSD Will Review After School Busing

There could be some hope for parents and students upset that the Bristol Township School District slashed all late bus runs.

School Board Vice President Patricia Koszarek told parents at a packed meeting Monday night that officials will review ideas to possibly resume limited late bus runs.

Late bus runs cost the district about $120,000 last year, Superintendent Dr. Sam Lee told LevittownNow.com last week. The move, which was approved when the budget was passed in June, impacts students at Harry S. Truman High School, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Neil A. Armstrong middle schools. Bristol Township students who attend the Bucks County Technical High School, as well as all parochial and private schools will also be impacted by the cuts.

Parent Sirena Thomas presented several ideas to the board and spoke for the hundred or so parents who came out the board meeting.

“Is the savings worth our children’s safety?” Thomas asked.

Thomas forwarded the suggestion that a 5:30-only late bus might be feasible. The suggestion was made by School Board President Angela Nober last week at a parent meeting.

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Fairless Hills parent Terry Hughes said his daughter, who goes to a private school, found out there were no late buses on the first week of classes when she got stuck in Northeast Philadelphia without a ride. Hughes added that he felt the kids of Bristol Township were being “cheated” out of extracurricular activities if they couldn’t find transportation.

Other parents before the meeting said they were upset about students walking home in the dark and cold. They also did not like the idea of kids crossing busy streets like Veterans Highway (Route 413) and New Falls Road, Thomas said.

“We need to analyze more data and see what we can come up with,” Koszarek told the parents.

After the meeting, Lee admitted the district could have handled the bus cuts better by informing parents well in advance of school starting.

The school board meeting was moved to the auditorium after more than 100 people packed the upstairs where the meeting is usually held.

Nober was absent from the meeting due to illness.

Related:

• School Board President: Late Bus Issue ‘Not Dead Yet’