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White Plains board hears parent complaints about school bus service; superintendent says district will enforce contract
Summary
Parents and board members raised repeated concerns about late, missed and misdirected school bus pickups. Superintendent Dr. Ricca said the district will press the contractor to meet route and GPS requirements and log every complaint.
Parents and board members pressed the White Plains Board of Education on persistent school transportation problems during its Sept. 8 meeting, saying buses have arrived late, failed to pick up students and dropped children at the wrong schools.
The dispute drew a blunt public comment from Barbara Sawicki, who said her child had been repeatedly left or delayed and that she has documented the incidents. "This is child neglect, leaving them at the wrong school. It's endangerment," Sawicki told the board during public participation.
Superintendent Dr. Ricca acknowledged the concerns during the superintendent's report and told the board the district is working with its provider, Durham School Services, to enforce contract terms. "We pay for a service that comes with clear expectations for service," Dr. Ricca said, adding that the district is checking routes, timing, ridership counts and GPS systems and will pursue contract penalties if lapses continue.
Dr. Ricca asked parents to report problems promptly to the transportation department and said parents may also contact him or Dr. Vicario Taish so the district can log complaints and escalate them to the vendor. "When we receive that information, that information gets logged, we bring it to the provider, and then we make sure that it gets rectified," he said.
Board members pledged oversight. President Eller said the board would follow up on the specific route cited by Sawicki and check what remedial steps the district and the contractor take. Board members said they expect the district to seek contract remedies where warranted and to keep the commenter updated.
The superintendent also described operational steps the district is taking: confirming that GPS trackers are functioning before buses depart, reviewing ridership assignments to avoid overcrowding, and following up on out-of-district placement routes. He said the district is running about 96–97 buses and that some initial "bumps" were normal in the third day of the school year, but that recurring failures are unacceptable.
Board members and administrators encouraged parents to continue reporting incidents so each case can be investigated and documented for corrective action or contract enforcement. The board did not take a formal vote on transportation at the meeting.
