Parents Upset After Cuts To Bus Service In Bristol Township
By Matt Rivers
BRISTOL, Pa., (CBS) -- A decision to cancel after-school buses for both middle schools and the high school in the Bristol Township School District is angering some parents in the community.
School board members cancelled the 4:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. buses when they adopted the 2014-2015 budget earlier this year. The buses typically transported students who had stayed after class for extra-curricular activities like studying or sports.
Most parents didn't find out about the decision until this week, and many are upset.
Many are asking how they will get their kids home from school if they are working. And beyond just simple logistics, some are questioning future consequences.
"My daughter is in the band and if she needed a ride with the buses, she wouldn't be able to be in the band," said Barbara Mallon, whose daughter plays in the band.
"That makes a lot of difference on their college applications and their self esteem," added parent Joanne Richick.
There are concerns about safety as well.
"[The student could be] possibly hit by cars, you're having children possibly abducted, you possibly put all these children at risk," said Kimberly Andruzzi, also the parent of a high school student.
Buses for sports teams will continue to run, but facing a budget deficit, the district said in a statement, "We had to take a hard look at what could be cut without compromising student learning. Eliminating these underutilized, late-run activity buses was clearly a more responsible option than cutting educational programs, services, or teachers."
For some parents, the explanation wasn't good enough.
"I know funding is hard, it's hard for everybody but there has to be some way of finding funding," said Andruzzi.
The school board is set to meet on Monday night, where this issue will be discussed. Many parents and students are expected to attend.
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