Stoneridge Estates resident asks district to reconsider school bus pickup after roads accepted by town
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Summary
A Stoneridge Estates resident told the Arlington Central School District board that his neighborhood was denied school bus pickup after the town accepted its roads; he asked the district’s transportation director to revisit the decision on a different weekday when trash cans would not block bus navigation.
Merson Capilari, a resident of Stoneridge Estates in the town of Beekman, asked the Arlington Central School District Board of Education on Oct. 14 to reconsider a decision that denies school bus pickup inside his neighborhood.
Capilari said about 18 homes in Stoneridge Estates are on town roads that were recently accepted by the town board, and that roughly half the households include students who attend Arlington schools. He told the board one reason he was given for the denial was that school buses could not safely navigate the subdivision on the day observers visited because trash collection day left cans in the roadway.
"Wednesday happens to be trash day," Capilari said. "One of the reasons for the denial was because trash cans are in the way of the school buses, and the drivers have some difficulty navigating through the roads and a cul de sac." He asked the district transportation director to "come back and take another look on one of those other four days of the week when the trash cans are not in the road" and to consider picking up children within the neighborhood rather than at the intersection at the end of the road.
A board member clarified the district's public comment practice, telling Capilari the board listens but does not engage with back-and-forth comments during the public comment period. The board member thanked him for coming early and for speaking to the board.
Why it matters: Capilari emphasized that residents of the recently accepted roads pay district taxes and requested equitable access to bus service for students who live there. The request would require transportation staff to reassess routing or pickup days and determine whether operational or safety concerns can be mitigated.
What the transcript shows and next steps: Capilari described the denied pickup and his request; the board did not take action during the meeting. The matter was presented as a public comment asking staff to review the decision; no formal motion, staff direction, or vote on the topic was recorded in the transcript. The board member who responded noted the public-comment protocol and did not commit to a specific next step on the record.