Parents, district clash over last‑minute changes to parochial-school bus pickups
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Summary
Parents of students who attend Holy Name and Regis told the Birmingham Public Schools board that a change in private school dismissal and district choice-hour policy shifted burdens onto families; the superintendent said district is reviewing legal transport obligations and will explore solutions but made no immediate policy change.
Parents and residents told the Birmingham Public Schools Board of Education on Aug. 26 that last‑minute adjustments to private‑school bus pickup times left families scrambling and raised legal and safety concerns.
Parents from Holy Name and Regis schools said the district’s change — tied to a later dismissal at Covington and a decision to align private‑school pick‑ups with standard district dismissal times — reduced previously available “choice hour” subsidized transportation and forced families to find alternate childcare or rearrange work schedules. “I do not think that is putting our children's interests at the top,” parent Cindy Worth said during public comment.
The dispute centers on timing and who the district is legally required to transport. Mary Noelle Stefani, a former Holy Name PSO president, told the board a proposed new pickup time of 4:30 p.m. is “completely unacceptable” because it would leave her 8‑year‑old without supervision for about 70 minutes. Rachel Robinson said parents circulated a petition and collected 236 signatures in less than two business days opposing the change.
Superintendent Doctor Roberson responded to public comments by describing why the district changed pickup timing and what it can and cannot be required to provide under state law. Dr. Roberson said Covington moved its end time from 3:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and because the district had been prioritizing private‑school pickups it had been subsidizing choice hour so private‑school students were being picked up at 4:30 p.m. She said the district moved to align private‑school pickup with standard end‑of‑day transportation, making choice hour an optional, paid choice rather than a subsidy for one program.
Dr. Roberson also cited legal limits on transportation obligations, saying that under "section 13 22 of the revised school code" the district is required to transport pupils to the nearest state‑approved nonpublic school that the pupil may attend and that, if the district limited transportation to only those legally required, the number of private‑school riders would drop substantially. “If we only transported those students, this this list would be cut to a quarter of the students that we transport,” she said, adding that the private schools’ officials had been notified of schedule changes earlier in the spring.
Board members did not take a formal vote on the issue during the meeting. Dr. Roberson said the district will continue to explore options and will work with affected families and private school officials; she acknowledged communication about the change had not reached some families in time.
Parents asked the board for immediate next steps and regular updates. “We encourage you to do the right thing and find a solution that's equitable for all Birmingham families,” said Andrew Robinson during public comment.
The board did not adopt an interim policy at the meeting; the matter remains under discussion and the superintendent said staff will continue to seek solutions and follow the legal requirements the district identified.