Board looks to reduce bus routes

Board looks
to reduce
bus routes

LAKEWOOD — The Board of Edu-cation is attempting to cut costs by asking private schools in the township to adjust their class times in order to limit the number of bus routes needed. At a recent meeting, board member Harvey Kranz said the board plans to send letters to the community’s 68 private schools.

"The idea is to see if start and dismissal times can be streamlined," Kranz said.

Currently, the Lakewood school district has more than 300 bus routes scheduled. Students who attend the Orthodox Jewish schools in town have different start and finish times than public school children, causing an excess of bus routes, according to the board.

Although the school board considered this an effective way to reduce transportation costs, some residents were not impressed with the plan.

"Shouldn’t the board decide on the combining of bus routes and the mixing of student passengers?" said Don Albanese. "You are using public money to pay for public school buses. Why should you let others decide what your decisions will be?"

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ernest Cannava said state law requires the district to follow the private schools’ schedule.

"If their calendar says their school starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m., we have to honor that," Cannava said.

According to a spokesman for the state Department of Education, a public school district is required to transport all elementary school and middle school pupils — public and private — who live 2 miles or more from their school and all high school students — public and private — who live 2.5 miles or more from their school.

According to district Business Admin-istrator Kathryn Fuoto, the board policy in Lakewood gives busing service to all K-6 pupils (public and private) who live 1 mile or more from their school; to all 7-8 pupils who live 1.5 miles or more from their school; and to all 9-12 students who live 2 miles or more from their school.

Students of all grade levels who live closer to their school than the distances indicated above (1, 1.5 and 2 miles) are required to walk to school unless they would have to cross what the board deems to be a hazardous road, (for example, Route 9). In that case the student receives what is called courtesy busing. As of Oct. 15, the board was busing 6,200 pupils over the requirements of the state, Fuoto said.

The district is not reimbursed by the state for the courtesy busing it provides to public and private school children.

"I feel the board should reinstate the ad hoc transportation committee," said resident Ray Pohl. "The committee needs to follow the Comprehensive Operational Program Assessment (COPA) which is designed to provide more efficient and cost-effective busing. I really feel that too many students are receiving courtesy busing. Some of the students simply live close enough so that they do not need to be bused."

The COPA is a report that was compiled by educators who visited the district and made recommendations on how the district should handle its finances.