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Parents of River's Edge Montessori tell Dayton board abrupt bus reclassification put children at risk
Summary
Two parents told the Dayton board they were notified the day before school started that their elementary-age children had been reclassified as walkers despite hazardous routes; they asked the district to allow afternoon pickup at an existing RTA stop in their neighborhood and the board directed staff to follow up.
Two parents from the Belmont Park neighborhood told the Dayton City School District Board on Aug. 19 that district transportation reclassified their children as walkers the day before school started, and that the change created safety and practical problems for 7- and 10-year-old students.
Shelly DeFranco, who said she lives at 632 Belmont Park North and whose children attend River's Edge Montessori, told trustees she was first notified Aug. 11 that her students no longer qualified for busing because their home is within the district’s one-mile threshold. "We live at 0.9 miles from the school, and my students, ages 7 and 10, were told they were classified as walkers," DeFranco said, adding that the walking route crosses two major intersections and passes close to the I‑75/I‑70 interchange. She said at a child’s walking pace the route could take about 30 minutes and so the route should qualify as hazardous under district policy.
Katie Harrison, who said her family lives at 225 Belmont Park East and whose three children attend Rivers Edge, made similar points and asked the district to allow her children to use an existing RTA stop—route 517—that already serves the neighborhood and has space for additional riders. "There is plenty of room on the bus, so this solution would not require adding stops or inconveniencing other riders," Harrison said.
Board members asked administration to follow up. President Goodwin asked Doctor Jones to contact the parents immediately; Doctor Jones and other staff offered to meet with the family after the meeting. Trustees also asked for a broader update: the board requested an accounting of how many students who rode buses last year were affected by late notifications, and for an explanation of why the district's notice went out on Aug. 11, one day before school started.
Doctor Jones said staff would follow up directly with the families and the board asked that a status update be provided within 24 hours and a fuller report by the end of the week.
The parents said the late notice left them no time to arrange alternate transportation and raised concerns about safety on routes that include major arterial roads and an interstate underpass.
The board did not take immediate formal action on the individual eligibility decisions but directed staff to investigate and report back to trustees.
