New Rochelle schools say transportation improvements under way as parents press for safer stops

Superintendent Reynolds told the Board of Education on Tuesday that the New Rochelle City School District is making near-term and longer-term changes to address repeated complaints about bus timeliness and stops.

"Any improvements in service so far this year are directly attributed to the team in the City School District of New Rochelle Transportation Department," Superintendent Reynolds said, adding that the district is working with its transportation contractor and drivers to make "real time adjustments" and to communicate changes directly with families.

The superintendent said the district met last week with First Student leadership to reinforce expectations and that the transportation department is collecting driver feedback, reallocating overtime and coverage for September, and planning to formally review most stop-change requests in October. "Most requests regarding bus stops will not be addressed until October," Reynolds said, asking the community for patience as routes stabilize.

Parent commenters at the meeting said the current temporary routing is unsafe for some families. Nina Moore, a New Rochelle parent, described a stop assigned near a steep hill and a blind curve on Avon and Oxford and said the location has a history of bus accidents. "It's very unsafe and it's a tremendous liability for the district if something like that were to happen again," Moore said, asking the district to change the stop for her children and other students.

Board members and staff described steps the district is taking to reduce the number of substitute drivers on routes (which reduces route knowledge), to analyze school-caused delays, and to consider adding vehicles where necessary. The superintendent said the district is coordinating with the New Rochelle Police Department traffic supervisors and with neighboring districts when dismissal times overlap.

The board did not take formal action on transportation at the meeting; staff said changes continue as data and driver reports come in. The district asked families to continue reporting issues to the transportation office; clerical staff are on a temporary rotation to increase telephone and in-person support through September.

Community members may expect further updates at the district's October meetings as the transportation department completes its initial adjustments and begins addressing stop requests.