Resident asks Arlington Central School District to revisit bus pickup denial for Stoneridge Estates

Merson Capilari, a resident of Stoneridge Estates in the town of Beekman, told the Arlington Central School District Board that his neighborhood — about 18 homes, roughly half with schoolchildren who attend Arlington schools — was denied school-bus pickup after the town accepted its roads.

Capilari said he learned the denial reason from the state senator’s office and that district transportation officials cited trash cans placed at the curb on Wednesday (trash day) and the presence of two cul-de-sacs that make bus navigation difficult. “One of the reasons for the denial was because trash cans are in the way of the school buses,” he said, asking the district to “come back and take another look” on a different weekday when cans are not in the street.

Board members thanked Capilari for bringing the issue but did not debate or commit to immediate action during the public-comment period; a board member reminded speakers that the board listens during public comment but generally does not respond from the dais. The board did not record a staff response or follow-up directive on the record at the time of the meeting.

The request raised specific operational and safety considerations for transportation staff: routing through two cul-de-sacs and navigating around parked refuse on collection day. Capilari emphasized the neighborhood’s tax contribution to the district — he estimated the lowest tax bill in the neighborhood is about $10,000, which he said translates to roughly $180,000 per year in property taxes from the subdivision — and asked for reconsideration from the transportation director.

The board did not take formal action during public comment. The transcript does not show a named response from the transportation director or a staff assignment to re-evaluate routes; Capilari’s request remains on the record pending staff review.