Norwich parents, students raise safety concerns after district switches to group bus stops

Dozens of Norwich residents, students and school officials pressed the Norwich Board of Education on Sept. 9 over safety and access after the district moved many students to consolidated “group” bus stops and required families to opt in to transportation. Parents said steep hills, unlit intersections and busy roads force children to walk long distances early in the morning and sometimes stand in unsafe locations.

The board heard roughly 30 public comments on the subject; many urged the district to restore prior stops or make targeted exceptions. “I am a homeowner in Norwich … I’m here today to advocate for my daughter’s bus transportation,” parent Veil Alyssias told the board during public comment. Student Miriam Ismail, a sixth grader at Kelley Middle School, said older students’ behavior on buses had made younger riders feel unsafe: “The bus should be a safe place where all students feel respected and secure on their way to and from school.” Several other parents described children having to stand at busy intersections before sunrise and said sidewalks are absent on many routes.

Superintendent Susan Lessard acknowledged the difficulties families raised and described the policy under which the district made changes. “We follow board of education policy when making transportation decisions. Safety is always our first priority when determining routes, stops, and walking distances,” Lessard said, adding that the district is tracking complaints and that school resource officers are sent to evaluate stop safety when requested. Lessard also said she is in daily contact with Maria Perillo, the district’s director of transportation, who is the point person for route changes.

District staff and the transportation subcommittee described the rationale for the shift: budget limits and rising costs led the district to request a roughly $5 million increase in the budget but receive under $1 million, prompting cost-saving measures including consolidated stops and an “opt-in” system for bus service. The district’s internal estimate, presented in committee reports, is that consolidated group stops reduced daily operating costs and produced roughly $280,000 in savings this year. Business administrator Bob Serpenski said the district operates about 90 buses daily (52 large buses and 38 smaller buses) and that fuel and contract pricing have also affected routing choices.

Despite those savings, parents said the tradeoff has been unsafe waiting locations and long walks in the dark. Several speakers described routes where cars do not reliably stop at intersections, little or no lighting, and no safe places for children to stand. One speaker said her 12-year-old granddaughter must walk a steep, unlit hill to a stop and that winter conditions make the route unsafe. Another recounted a child being struck by a car on a local road within recent months.

The board and staff described how complaints are being handled. Maria Perillo has received and called back hundreds of parents, the transportation committee said, and the district is using a staged review process: staff review complaints, First Student (the bus contractor) assesses routing and safety, and school resource officers (SROs) are dispatched as needed to re-evaluate stops. The transportation committee recommended that SROs and the business administrator serve as designees of the superintendent to approve spot- and route-level safety determinations.

There was no formal vote to reinstate specific stops at the Sept. 9 meeting. Board members and staff said adjustments would be made on a case-by-case basis, and that parent requests could result in exceptions when safety concerns are validated. The board scheduled a district-level meeting of stakeholders for Sept. 18 and a separate short meeting (via Zoom) on Sept. 23 to approve a contractor resubmission related to school construction and site logistics; staff said transportation follow‑ups would continue through those channels.

Why it matters: The transportation change affects students’ ability to get to school safely and on time, particularly younger children and families without flexible schedules. District staff emphasized the need to balance safety, bus-route efficiency and limited budget resources while parents pressed for more on-the-ground safety reviews and faster responses to individual complaints.

What’s next: The district said staff will continue to log complaints, dispatch SROs to review questionable stops, and meet with First Student and parent groups to pursue targeted changes. Board members encouraged parents to supply contact information at public comment so staff can follow up.

Ending: The board closed public comment after roughly half an hour of testimony and said staff would “look into your concerns.” No districtwide reversal of the consolidated-stop policy was approved at the meeting; the public and board members agreed more on-site reviews and clearer communication are immediate priorities.