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Parent urges South Colonie board to change bus drop-off practice after young child left alone
Summary
A resident told the South Colonie board that first-graders have been allowed to walk from bus stops to their homes “unattended and unsupervised,” describing a recent early drop-off where her child had to run home; the superintendent said the district will review procedures and the board referred the matter to its policy committee.
A resident of the district told the South Colonie Central School District Board of Education Nov. 12 that the district’s practice of allowing children as young as first grade to walk from a school bus to their home unattended is unsafe and should be reviewed.
“Samantha Robles, a Colony resident of nearly 30 years, said: “It is my understanding that there is a grandfathered procedure or protocol that's been adopted and implemented where children as young as first grade are allowed to walk from a school bus to their home unattended and unsupervised.” She described an incident a few weeks earlier in which her daughter was dropped off almost 20 minutes early on a busy road near a motel with “extensive criminal history” and had to run home, and she cited American Academy of Pediatrics guidance that children younger than 10 are not generally recommended to walk home alone.
The superintendent, Dr. Perry, acknowledged he was aware of the incident and said “we made some corrections so that it won't have to happen” and that the district will examine the issue “from a policy perspective and the safe-skills perspectives.” The board chair said the matter would be taken to the board’s policy committee for further review.
Why it matters: the concern raises questions about district routing, communication with families and how the district balances route timing with student safety, especially for younger students. Robles urged the board to formalize any changes so future parents and staff have a clear, binding protocol.
What the board did: the chair accepted Robles’s request and the board agreed to refer the matter to the policy committee for consideration; Dr. Perry said he would follow up directly with the speaker. No formal change to policy was adopted at the meeting.
Next steps: the board referred the issue to its policy committee and the superintendent said he would follow up with the family; any formal policy change would require committee review and a subsequent board action.
