Parents, PTA and board press district to fix emergency bus parking that displaced Western Middle School fields

Parents, PTA leaders and school administrators urged the Greenwich Board of Education on Tuesday to move dozens of school buses parked at Western Middle School that are making school yards unsafe, disrupting recess and generating traffic and noise in a dense neighborhood.

Frances Woonobe, P‑TECH facilities committee chair, told the board: "we are absolutely devastated to see nearly 60 GPS buses parked at the brand new multimillion dollar Western Middle School fields and the W Wing Blacktop." She said fumes, traffic, oil leaks and drivers using limited staff parking make the situation "wholly unacceptable." The WMS PTA co‑president, Grace Stintel, said the buses and driver cars entering and exiting daily on narrow streets create "a huge traffic and safety nightmare for WMS students riding their bicycles, staff, families, and the surrounding neighborhood."

The superintendent, Doctor Jones, acknowledged the scale of the problem and said transportation is "a very, very challenging year." She told the board the district has a real‑estate professional searching for a lot for longer‑term parking and that staff are also looking at multiple smaller lots to distribute buses temporarily. Jones said some drivers had parked in staff lots that morning but that staff had moved them later, and that the district was adding buses where routes were overcrowded: "If we need to add a bus, we will."

Board members and PTA leaders pressed for immediate short‑term fixes while work continues on a permanent solution. WMS PTA members asked the district to stop unrelated buses from arriving during student drop‑off and pick‑up, suggesting staging at Dorothy Hamill Rink or other nearby lots until routes begin. Parents described the practical impact: with turf and grass areas taken up by buses, physical‑education classes have had to shift to uneven tennis courts and recess could not be held safely on the grass.

The district said it is exploring town‑owned lots (Old Greenwich train station, skating rink, Holly Hill and others were mentioned as candidates) and commercial lots, but executives warned private landowners have often declined year‑round commitments. Jones said the district has reduced some route problems since the first days of school and that an online form is capturing parent concerns, with fewer complaints than at the program's start. She did not provide a firm date for a permanent lot.

The board directed staff to continue searching for multiple short‑term parking solutions and to report back with specific sites, a timeline and any needed budget implications. No formal action or vote on funding took place during the meeting.

Community members asked the board to keep communication channels open and to publish measurable milestones for resolving the problem.