Parents in Penn Hills say district's new school bus plan puts students in danger
PENN HILLS, Pa. (KDKA) — At a school board meeting on Wednesday, parents in Penn Hills voiced their frustration with a recent move that is resulting in most middle and high school students losing the ability to ride a school bus to school.
"This bus situation is a failure to these kids' dreams," Veronica Lavender said. "We're asking for something simple, and that is for our kids to be safe."
The district will provide students tickets to take Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses to school.
"That is so asinine," one parent said.
It's all part of an effort by the cash-strapped district to save more than $400,000.
"The district has made tough decisions and will continue to make tough decisions," Penn Hills School District Superintendent Josh Mozzocio said on Wednesday.
But parents expressed how those decisions will be tough on their kids. Multiple parents shared how their children would have to wake up at 4 a.m. to catch buses in the 5 a.m. hour. They shared how their children would have a two-hour journey, and many would have to make transfers.
"How do you plan on even monitoring the safety of these kids on a public bus," asked one parent.
Many parents said their kids will have to make transfers in Wilkinsburg.
"I'm a 57-year-old man who grew up in Wilkinsburg. I'm not standing around in Wilkinsburg when it's dark, and you want my children to do that to get on a bus," one parent said.
Many of the parents said they send their children to charter schools, but they still use district buses to get them there. A 14-year-old student who goes to a charter school shared her fears about taking a PRT bus.
"I'm pretty young. I'm afraid that if I ride those buses, I'm going to get raped, or get put into a trafficking ring or maybe even get murdered," the student said.
Parents called for the district to make cuts elsewhere, but district leaders say they can't because the bus cutback was part of an agreement approved by the state as they recover from financial distress.
"While we intend to be responsible stewards of taxpayer money, keeping students safe is a top priority." said the superintendent.
Mozzocio said school leaders will continue to engage with parents about the decision. Another board member said they would try to respond to the questions raised in writing after the meeting,
The district's recovery manager said if it does not make cuts to transportation, the district could have to cut into classroom programs or raise taxes.