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Parent asks Bethlehem Area SD for single bus stop at Spring Garden Elementary to serve neighborhood near Northeast Middle School
Summary
A parent asked the board to add one bus stop at Spring Garden Elementary to serve students living 1.8 miles from Northeast Middle School who currently do not qualify for busing under the two-mile threshold; the board asked the parent to meet with staff for follow-up but made no decision.
Jonathan Durr, a parent with three children in the Bethlehem Area School District, asked the board on April 28 to add a single bus stop at Spring Garden Elementary to serve students who live near his neighborhood and attend Northeast Middle School.
Durr said he lives approximately 1.8 miles from Northeast Middle School, which leaves his child ineligible for bus service under the district’s two-mile minimum for busing. “It's a lot to ask a kid to walk 1.8 miles in the snow and rain and also for working parents to get their kids to school,” he said, asking the board to consider rerouting one bus to stop at Spring Garden Elementary.
Board response and next steps: No formal motion was made. Doctor Silva asked Durr to meet privately after the meeting to provide more information about routes and specific addresses; staff indicated they would gather route capacity and utilization information. The board did not commit to a route change or immediate action during the meeting.
Why it matters: The request concerns student access to school transportation and the district’s application of its two-mile eligibility policy. Any change would require route analysis, capacity assessment and potential recurring operational costs.
Clarifying details from the record: Durr said he lives 1.8 miles from Northeast Middle School; transcript indicates the district’s two-mile threshold prevents his child from receiving a bus stop. The board requested follow-up rather than making an on-the-spot decision.
Next steps: District staff and the parent will meet after the meeting to discuss route details; the board signaled staff will review potential routing and capacity.
