DEPTFORD TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WPVI) — The Deptford Township School District surprised parents over the weekend with the announcement that it would reduce the number of students eligible for free bus rides.
Officials said they would also reduce the number of bus stops used to pick up and drop off passengers.
Kevin Kanauss announced the changes in a letter sent to parents Friday afternoon, outlining the district’s plan to eliminate free bus service for students who live within a certain distance of the school they attend.
This means that elementary and middle school students who live less than two miles from their school will no longer receive the free service; the same goes for high school students who live less than two miles from their school.
In addition, there will be fewer stops for boarding and alighting in the district.
Kanauss defended the decision, writing: “The decision to reduce the number of bus stops was not made lightly. After extensive analysis, it became clear that reducing the number of stops would contribute significantly to the overall efficiency and sustainability of our transportation services.”
He added that the changes would save the district about $1.65 million annually by relying more on its fleet of bus drivers and less on contracts with outside bus providers.
Kanauss said the savings would allow the district to reallocate the money to support “urgently needed areas.”
He said these included security and renovations at schools, retention and expansion of teaching staff, academic programs, teaching materials and student support services.
Parents and residents of Deptford Township were not happy with the news, saying they felt completely blindsided by the news less than a month before the start of the new school year.
Morgan Bugger, whose two children attend school in the district, said she is desperately trying to find a way to drop her children off at two schools on opposite sides of town and still get to work on time.
“It’s going to be a busy morning,” Bugger said. “We have to go to one of the schools east of my house and then all the way across to the other side, west, to get to another school.”
In addition, Bugger said safety is a major concern. She said walking to school is simply not an option for her young children because there is no pedestrian protection on the paths they must walk.
“There are not enough sidewalks or crosswalks for the children,” she said. “There are no crossing guards at the crosswalks. How is their safety ensured?”
Micheal Anthony expressed similar concerns about the road leading to Deptford Township High School.
“You would have to walk down this road, Fox Run Road, and then there’s no pedestrian path anywhere,” Anthony said. “There’s no bike path, not even a bike lane. It’s not safe at all.”
Kanauss said the district would offer a bus pass for $365 per student per year for parents who want to continue taking their children to school by bus.
He said that’s about half of what the district currently pays to provide free bus service to every child transported.
“For my household, that’s hundreds of dollars,” Bugger said. “Not many families can afford that.”
In addition, the superintendent said the district will work with local authorities to monitor walking routes and ensure student safety.
Anthony said he would feel a little relieved if there were crossing guards along the routes that children have to take to school.
However, he doubted that the money the district would save would be worth risking student safety.
“Is it worth risking children’s lives because they have to walk to school?” he asked.
The Deptford Township School District will make a public presentation on the changes at the next Board of Education meeting on August 20.
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