School board asks Weston County to clarify Osage road ownership after bus stop moved

Dana Mantegui, chair of the Newcastle School Board, told the Weston County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 16 that the district has temporarily relocated a bus stop because drivers can no longer use Sheridan Street in Osage and parents are concerned about children crossing U.S. Highway 16.

"We need your help. We have a dangerous bus stop situation at the intersection of US 16 And 451," Mantegui said. She said the district had to move stops to paved pullouts and that a prior loop through Sheridan Street is no longer safe because of the road condition.

Jason Jenkins, trustee and chair of the district’s transportation committee, described how the district previously served Osage from two stops on Sheridan—near the church and the post office—but ‘‘because of the conditions in Sheridan Road, we can no longer go down that road,’’ he said. Jenkins said the district moved stops to a water station for a year but the water district objected; the current stop is on Highway 450 and parents have raised safety concerns.

Transportation director Troy Allen told commissioners the district is also limited by bus size and by a driver shortage: ‘‘At one time, we had 10 bus routes. We’re down to 8 because we don’t have enough drivers,’’ he said, which constrains the district’s ability to use smaller buses that might navigate tight turnarounds.

School officials asked the county to determine who is legally responsible for Sheridan Street and other local roads in Osage so the district and parents can pursue maintenance or temporary solutions. Jenkins cited a state statute during the meeting as placing responsibility for some unincorporated roads with counties (noted in the meeting as "24‑3‑125"). The school asked the commission to add the issue to new business so staff can research ownership, easement status and potential maintenance or liability remedies.

Commissioners and county staff discussed parcel maps, plat data and previous maintenance; county staff said available online parcel viewers and flat maps are for reference and do not always reflect deeds, easements or right‑of‑way records. Commissioners agreed to place the matter on the next meeting’s new business agenda and asked county staff to research ownership records, past quitclaims/easements and whether the state or county holds rights that would permit maintenance or designation of a county road.

The school board requested county help identifying the responsible entity so the district can restore safer stops in Osage and reduce student exposure to through traffic on U.S. Highway 16. Commissioners did not adopt a formal resolution at the Sept. 16 meeting; staff were directed to research and report back at the next meeting.

For now, the district continues to use the paved pullouts on Highway 450 and the district and county will coordinate further research into deeds, county plats and any state quitclaim deeds or easements that affect ownership and maintenance responsibility.

Ending: The commissioners scheduled follow‑up for the next meeting so staff can gather records about road ownership, easements and possible county action; no final policy change was made on Sept. 16.