The New Milford Public School District reported multiple late bus routes and a single bus failing inspection, prompting board members to propose a standing transportation committee to oversee scheduling, vendor contracts and route performance.

Board members said the district’s routes are heavily tiered to control costs, leaving drivers covering as many as three to five routes before returning. Superintendent Dr. Pucci said that configuration has “maxed out our buses and our transportation,” and acknowledged families and staff have reported recurring lateness on three or four routes.

The nut graf: Delays stem from multi-tiered routes created to control contract costs, a recent failed inspection that must be corrected within 30 days, and early-season routing problems as students and drivers adjust. Board members argued closer oversight and a designated committee would help resolve recurring problems and inform long-term decisions about cost, contracting and service levels.

More details: Dr. Pucci told the board the district’s routes were underpriced during bidding, producing deeply tiered assignments. She said most buses passed inspection but one did not; the district has 30 days to address that vehicle’s deficiencies while keeping other buses in service. The superintendent also said many routes combine general education and a large special-education ridership, and schedule changes can increase behavioral incidents that staff are addressing.

Board members suggested concrete next steps: forming a standing or ad hoc transportation committee to meet regularly (chairs would set standing monthly dates to avoid scheduling difficulties), directing staff to work with Officer Cassano of the local police department on traffic and pickup patterns, and monitoring vendor performance (Pomptonian was referenced as the district food services vendor during the meeting). Dr. Pucci and administrators said they will continue to field parent emails and observe problematic stops directly.

Quotes in context: “We’ve really maxed out our buses and our transportation,” Dr. Pucci said, describing multi-tiered routes. On enforcement and on-site review, staff reported they have been out at problem locations in the mornings to observe conditions.

Operational notes and next steps: The board asked chairs to set standing committee dates so members can plan; if a scheduled meeting is unnecessary it can be canceled. Staff will return to the board with committee membership recommendations and updates on the bus that failed inspection.

Ending: School officials said they expect some stabilization as families and drivers settle into routines but emphasized ongoing monitoring and administrative follow-up. No formal policy change or vendor contract was approved at the work session.