Parents and community groups press Nash County schools on missed buses; Lifewise plans appreciation lunch for transportation staff

At the Nash County Board of Education's January meeting, a parent sharply criticized the district's bus service after repeated missed pickups for his special-needs grandson, and a community program invited the board to an appreciation event for transportation staff.

Jim Lasser, addressing the board during the public input period, said his grandson, a special-needs student assigned to Red Oak Middle School, had missed scheduled bus pickups multiple times since the school year began. Lasser said he reviewed the district’s transportation manual and quoted language he said stated “there will always be a bus at every stop” when regular buses are unavailable. He told the board he had repeatedly called the school and left messages and said the principal did not contact him until Jan. 2. Lasser said district responses promised follow-up that did not occur and that he continued to experience missed pickups into January.

“I started complaining the first week of school because that week, three times, we didn't get [a bus],” Lasser said. He told the board he expected the district to follow its own written procedures for dispatching alternate buses when routes cannot be served.

Separately, Christie Smith, program director with LifeWise Academy, said her organization organized a community-funded appreciation luncheon for Nash County transportation employees on Jan. 22 with Chick-fil-A providing lunch and door prizes. Smith described LifeWise as an organization that offers Bible education to public school students during school hours and said the organization bases participation on parental permission and private funding, which she said is consistent with a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Smith said LifeWise does not have an active program in Nash County this school year but that her group wanted to honor transportation staff for their service and to invite board members to the luncheon.

Superintendent Steve Ellis was recorded in the meeting as the official to whom follow-up would be directed; in the public comment exchange Lasser said he expected follow-up from Dr. Ellis or a designated representative. The transcript records the superintendent's office as having promised follow-up after the holiday break but Lasser said he did not receive contact until he continued to call the school.

What happened next

The public input period closed after the speakers finished. The board did not take on-the-spot action during the meeting on Lasser’s or Smith’s comments; the transcript shows that Lasser’s complaint was to be forwarded to the superintendent for follow-up. No formal directive, timeline, or written remedial plan was recorded in the public portion of the meeting.