Parent Questions to Angela Penna on Busing Cuts

Email exchange between a parent and the BOE President on the controversial cuts to subscription busing.

-Jessica Lesperance

With the recent notice about subscription busing, I thought it would be helpful to share correspondence that I started with administration regarding courtesy busing back in March. As you will see, I eventually got one response but never any follow up after pushing for more clarification. 

I would be very interested to know if we are continuing courtesy busing for students when we have told some families that are willing to pay for subscription busing that it is not available. 

Courtesy busing is incredibly inequitable, it should be all or nothing. Either everyone in the district is offered courtesy busing, or we follow the state mandates and if you live within 2 miles you should pay for subscription busing. 

Last Portion of Email Exchange:

[JL]: Jessica Lesperance

[AP]: Angela Penna

Hi Ms. Penna, 

Thank you for your response. I do have a couple of follow up questions in purple below. 

[JL] What criteria qualifies a student for courtesy bussing? 

[AP] There is no criteria for courtesy bussing in our district.  The students who are at present receiving courtesy bussing are students who have been bussed solely under past practices. These are the students that the board will be re-evaluating during the 23/24 school year.

[JL]If there is no documented criteria, then it seems to me it's discretionary - so my question would be, who makes the decision as to who receives courtesy busing and who does not? If this is the case, it certainly does not seem equitable.

If it's not discretionary, then there must be some sort of criteria, whether it be a list of addresses or street names - you mention students have been bussed under past practices, what are the past practices? If this is the case, I again request that you share what criteria qualifies a student for courtesy busing. 

[JL] How would a parent know if their children qualify - does the district reach out proactively or is it up to a parent to ask?

[AP] Parents are notified each year during the registration period. I believe that registration started yesterday. Students that qualify to take the bus are asked to fill out a registration form - they have the option to utilize or waive taking the bus. Students that don't qualify are sent a subscription bus application form.

[JL] How often are these qualifications/guidelines reviewed?

[AP]The regulations are driven by the state and reviewed regularly by our transportation department.

[JL] My question was not regarding the regulations driven by the state, but rather the criteria surrounding courtesy busing in our district. If there are in fact guidelines/past practices, were these reviewed after the reconfiguration was completed. There are many families (including mine) who have had their "walkability" negatively impacted by the reconfiguration. 

[JL] When was the last time these qualifications/guidelines were changed or updated?

[AP]Again, the regulations are driven by the state. We don't have that information, please reach out to them directly. 

[JL] Again, this was in reference to courtesy busing in our district, not the state regulations. 

[JL] In closing, I understand that the board has said they will re-evaluate courtesy busing next year. This is certainly something that needs to be done, but I would argue it can't wait until next year. We have had to make cuts to the budget and will ultimately have less teachers in our schools next year than we did this year as a result. My suggestion would be that anyone receiving courtesy busing should be asked to pay for busing like the subscription busing families. If they choose not to participate, then that is fine, but if they do, it helps generate some additional revenue for the district in an equitable fashion. Alternatively, I suggest you take a look at families that were impacted by the reconfiguration and provide them with courtesy busing - which will be more costly to the district. 

Again, I appreciate your response and consideration.

Thank You,
Jessica

Full Email Exchange

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