Some Wake County families say they were surprised to get letters this week telling them they had declined bus service for the new traditional-calendar school year.
School officials say they sent letters this week to all families who would normally be eligible for bus service but who are listed in the system as having declined transportation last school year. They say they haven't heard about letters being sent in error.
For families with questions about bus service, Wake posted this tip sheet this afternoon.
School officials say families who didn't request bus service but who want it now can go to the nearest bus stop for their child's school on Monday and notify the driver, who will take down the information and give it to transportation office.
Comments
More great leadership
Sun, 08/26/2012 - 15:45 — DijanoMMTata's wonderful school choice plan has my sons bus route set up with 18 stops. The route maps out to take 49 minutes. So cutting it close with 2 minutes per stop to load students, thats 36 more minutes making the ride a minimum of 1.5 hours for the first students on the route. Great guaranteed transportation....wonderful job......kids spending 3 hours a day on the bus. Maybe it's the new method to reduce juvenile crime. Keep up this wonderful ridiculousness !
Tata's wonderful school
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 00:26 — jeffrey1Tata's wonderful school choice plan has my sons bus route set up with 18 stops.
Has absolutely nothing to do with the choice plan. The transportation system was overhauled and there are many less buses on the road this school year.
no fewer busses
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 16:59 — turnerk1There aren't fewer busses on the road than last year. We have the same number of busses as last year taking more kids (due to the rising district population) to more schools (partly because we have opened some new schools and partly because some neighborhoods are now being served by more schools).
Are you sure about the
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 18:20 — jenmanAre you sure about the number of buses? I'm sure I've read that we are operating fewer buses this year and WRAL's website says we have 25 fewer this year.
I don't blame the whole thing on the new assignment plan, but I don't see how it can all be because of the change to the 2 tier system. It's unreal how many buses are coming through our neighborhood now.
not sure
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 20:22 — turnerk1but I thought the 25 number was the number of busses they wanted to buy but didn't when they messed around with the start times and changed to the two tier system. I could be wrong though. Still, 25 fewer busses doesn't seem like enough in a system this big to cause the kind of havoc some people experienced today.
In a 3-tier system, 25 buses
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 20:55 — danofncIn a 3-tier system, 25 buses could equal as many as 75 routes.
The new number Wake said
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 22:04 — KeungHui (author)The new number Wake said today is they've got 53 fewer buses on the road this school year, 880 instead of 933 last school year.
And...
Tue, 08/28/2012 - 12:59 — Bob_SconceAn additional 3,000 students. Say that 1/3 of them take the bus -- that's 1,000 students/ 2 routes per bus per day / 40 students/bus = another 12 buses if they had kept pace with last year. Effectively, it's a 65 bus reduction.
It's bizarre -- the state efficiency standards basically ecourage districts to put their students on long, crowded, bus rides.
Ask them if they could decrease
Tue, 08/28/2012 - 09:21 — FSandYOUit by another 200 next year.
Tell them we need teachers and programs, not more buses. I know you have pull.
Another Bit To Add....
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 10:57 — JanisTangoI was told this morning that if there are no children at a stop for 5 consecutive days the stop will be removed from the route.
always been true
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 17:00 — turnerk1That's been the policy for awhile, though I bet they are going to be enforcing it more rigorously this year. I wonder if it counts if the kid is there, but the bus never shows up?
So...
Sun, 08/26/2012 - 22:44 — Bob_SconceThe big reason for the longer bus rides was switching to a two-tier tranportation system in an effort to get more money out of the state. Not a problem with the choice plan.
You can save your kids 2 hours + a day then
Sun, 08/26/2012 - 20:20 — FSandYOUby driving them yourself, if it's so terrible.
Get a clue
Sun, 08/26/2012 - 21:36 — DijanoMMInteresting to see that you totally missed the point. You must work for the N&O too.
You must've missed my point
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 07:24 — FSandYOUNot happy with the rides?
DRIVE THEM YOURSELF!
As already stated, "the plan" has zero to do with your inability to get your kids to and from.
They were surprised?
Sat, 08/25/2012 - 17:13 — FSandYOUI bet they were not as surprised as the 200+ who were told
AFTER THEIR KIDS MISSED THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL
that their tracks had been changed without their knowledge or request to do so.
Funny we can hear about this story, but not the other.
Wonder why that was?
Please get over it...
Sat, 08/25/2012 - 19:28 — midtownmomIt's getting old. Yes, they made a huge mistake and it was definitely unconscionable for the affected families, but move on dude! There's a whole lot more to discuss now.
There's a bigger point here
Sat, 08/25/2012 - 20:56 — FSandYOULet me know if you ever figure out what that is.
We all know the media...
Sun, 08/26/2012 - 09:00 — midtownmomis biased and only reports what they choose. So why don't you take responsibility and make sure they are aware of issues you deem important.
I and many others deem this very important
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 07:26 — FSandYOUYou must be in a traditional school, where life is care free.
As for the biased media, yes, that is part of the issue.
Another part, apparently when certain things happen during a 2 week vacation, it's not worth the time upon returning to invest a moment of concern, or coverage, for it.
Ahhh, the silence is predictable.
I was trying to be polite
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 07:33 — KeungHui (author)I was trying to be polite by ignoring your silly accusations. But you're acting silly thinking there are conspiracies everywhere.
I appreciate politeness, at times,
Mon, 08/27/2012 - 08:36 — FSandYOUbut the families that were and are affected, and those moving here, and everyone else that can be treated that way, deserve better.
Ooh, I know! pick me!
Sat, 08/25/2012 - 21:25 — RWTIt's one of the inherent problems of MYR and the "we-know-best" attitude that principals and administrators have towards parents and students. Do I get a prize?
ps wanted to add that this response is not tongue-in-cheek
YOU WIN!
Sun, 08/26/2012 - 20:25 — FSandYOUIt's only one of many problems continuing to be swept under the rug with the MYR schools isn't it. Just ask those out in Knightdale, where teachers are asking for their school to be converted back to traditional because their school is so out of whack. Hmmm, wonder where we've heard that before.
However, if the news doesn't make the school system and the board look good I'm sure that has much to do with why the general public doesn't hear about it.
The mess about declined bus
Sat, 08/25/2012 - 08:04 — mnordbergThe mess about declined bus transportation will be a tiny story when Monday comes and the mess of shared transportation between multiple schools causes a mess when year round and traditional schools start sharing buses. New assignment policy means more schools per neighborhood and only way to hit efficiency targets is to share buses and extend routes to fill the bus. Going to be a mess with longer bus rides, late students or students arriving at school way too early and sitting for 30+ minutes.
local office says everyone got that letter!
Fri, 08/24/2012 - 22:23 — lg2823My child has been riding the bus for 2 years. I received the "parent decline" letter and called the local (Apex) office. They said everyone had been getting that letter and they didn't know where it came from. The woman who answered the phone was very nice, took my child's name, and told me the bus stop, route, etc. We'll see what happens Monday morning! She was not able to tell me what time the bus might be there so we'll just have to guess about that.
I don't recall being asked
Fri, 08/24/2012 - 22:00 — RWTI don't recall being asked if I wanted bus transportation. I haven't used it in the past because it wasn't convenient, but I never told anyone or signed any forms stating that I declined transportation.
This is the first year there is a bus stop less than two miles from my house, and they say I can't use it because I supposedly declined it. Whatever.