Board hears recurring complaints about magnet-school transportation and application timing

Board members and district transportation staff discussed persistent transportation challenges for families whose students are accepted to magnet programs after the district’s transportation application cutoff. Parents accepted into magnet programs after the system’s initial cutoffs reported difficulty securing bus seats, especially for ninth-graders who cannot drive. “Put your application in for transportation on February 1,” Transportation Manager Darlene Hart told the board, describing the district’s yearly process: applications open Feb. 1 and transportation is granted on a first-come, first-served basis; lotteries and multiple call-outs to parents run through the spring and summer. “When they choose a magnet school, they also acknowledge that transportation may not be available to them,” Hart said. Board members asked whether the district can facilitate parent carpooling or a parent communication platform. Several members suggested informal Facebook groups as a low-risk way for parents to connect. Board Member Fesco asked about the number of special requests; staff said annual demand is large and that the system maintains waiting lists and reassigns seats when families decline offers. “We encourage them to put it in February 1, way ahead of time, even if they don’t know,” Hart said. Staff described outreach efforts — open houses, orientations and a recent Saturday expo — where transportation staff answer parent questions. Assistant Superintendent Payne said schools and transportation teams frequently discuss transportation at open houses and that trunk routes and other routing strategies often help but can still leave some families without district-provided transit. The board acknowledged the program is locally funded: “Our magnet trunk routes are 100% nonfunded. We fund it locally,” a board member said, noting the district pays the local cost rather than receiving full state reimbursement. No formal action was taken; the board asked staff to continue outreach, to consider ways to notify parents about transportation deadlines, and to return with options for improving communication between magnet parents (for example, school-run or parent-run groups) while recognizing liability limits on district-facilitated carpools.