Parents, childcare provider press Saugerties board after 5‑year‑old was dropped off alone; transportation policy review planned
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Summary
A child-care director described a Sept. 2025 bus drop‑off that left a 5‑year‑old with an IEP unattended four houses from home; the board said it will review transportation policies and hold a policy committee meeting in October.
Bill Stutz, director of Speckled Frog play care, told the Saugerties Central School District Board of Education on Sept. 9 that multiple transportation problems are increasing safety risks for young children.
"I cannot understand how that could ever happen," Stutz said, describing an opening‑day incident in which a 5‑year‑old with an individualized education plan was dropped off alone four houses from home and was visible on a Ring camera walking to his front door. A neighbor reached the child about eight minutes later, Stutz said.
Stutz told the board the principal at Riccardi met with the family and that a transportation supervisor informed the parents the driver was off route and receiving additional training. He urged district leaders to contact the family with the findings of the district investigation and to meet with community child‑care providers to identify fixes.
Board members acknowledged the incident during the meeting and pointed to an upcoming policy review. Dr. Hirson and other administrators said the district is already reviewing transportation rules and will place the issue on the policy committee agenda in October. Board members noted that the district currently provides busing beyond the minimum distances required by New York law and that changes to some distance thresholds could require voter approval.
The meeting also included a facilities update that flagged the Riccardi easement as an item under active engineering, traffic and environmental review. Board members said that if the district completes the easement acquisition, the district property boundary could move, which would change the edge used to compute eligibility for bus service; in their discussion they said that could reduce busing eligibility to a half‑mile for some elementary households.
District staff described next steps as a combination of the ongoing investigation into the specific drop‑off, additional driver training, and the scheduled policy committee discussion on transportation. The district did not provide a formal timeline for concluding its investigation at the meeting.
The board asked members of the public to attend the October policy meeting if they want to give input on any proposed changes to transportation rules.