Ouachita Parish policy review committee approves changes to Policy EDD on school bus routing and stops

The Ouachita Parish Policy Review Committee approved recommended revisions to Policy EDD, the district's school bus scheduling and routing policy, after a short discussion about safety and the district's ability to operate on private or substandard roads.

The committee approved the changes by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded. Committee members also approved the meeting agenda and minutes from the Nov. 14 Policy Review Committee meeting. There was no public comment on the item.

The policy as written retains the existing eligibility threshold that the district provides transportation for students who live more than 1 mile from their assigned school. The revisions clarified three operational points: (1) middle and high school students may be required to walk to a safe, predetermined bus stop set by the bus operator and the transportation director; (2) buses should not make stops on four‑lane highways, and instead the district will designate safe meeting points for pickups on routes that cross four‑lane corridors; and (3) buses will not use private drives or roads not maintained by public entities for turnarounds or stop locations except by specific approval.

Whelan McCormick, the district's director of transportation, told the committee the changes respond to safety concerns, reduce the district's exposure to repair costs when buses travel on private or substandard roads, and shorten route times when drivers are not required to travel long distances for a single rider. "We can't use public money to fix private property," McCormick said, describing instances in which rain and bus traffic damaged private drives and created repair demands. He added that routing students to a safe, predetermined meeting point can decrease the time students spend on buses.

McCormick also described the risk of stopping adjacent to four‑lane highways. "Those people slamming on their brakes or trying to make a decision that quick" after seeing a bus stop arm and flashing lights increases the danger to students and drivers, he said. He noted that motorists on the far side of medians are not required to stop for a bus stop arm, which can add to driver confusion and risk.

Committee members asked that the policy text be amended to replace references to "transportation supervisor" with "transportation director" for internal consistency; McCormick and the committee agreed. Members also discussed adding language that any exception to the new limits (for example, allowing a bus to use a private turnaround) would require committee approval.

A motion "to approve these recommended changes to Policy EDD as presented by Mr. McCormick" was made and seconded; the motion carried on a voice vote. The committee chair announced there were no public comment cards for the item. The committee noted the next PRC meeting date will be set later and that Adam Hunsucker will serve as the policy review committee chair going forward.

The action changes routine routing practice and clarifies staff authority and exception procedures; implementation details such as the specific predetermined meeting points and any exception approvals were not specified at the meeting.