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Parents raise transportation and childcare-policy concerns at Moore County Schools meeting
Summary
Three public commenters told the Moore County Schools board Sept. 8 that district transportation and daycare policies are harming families: a parent said a freshman was left on the roadside after bus routing confusion; another asked for transparent daycare weather-closure rules and formal parent input.
Jessica Arno, a parent of a child enrolled in Baby Bulls Academy at McBeans Creek Elementary, told the Moore County Schools Board of Education on Sept. 8 that the district—s weather‑closure practices disadvantage tuition‑based, self‑transported daycare programs. Arno asked the board to review weather‑related closure policies so daycare programs can use delayed openings or site‑specific assessments instead of countywide closures and to formally solicit and document parent input before changing daycare handbooks and policies. "For a tuition based county subsidized program housed in taxpayer funded facilities, parent input should not be considered optional or discretionary," she said.
Another parent, Katrina McNeil, described a first‑day incident in which her son, a Pine Crest High School freshman, was transferred between buses and ended up being dropped off at Aberdeen Elementary and left on the roadside. McNeil said she reported the incident to transportation director Jason Nelson and recounted erratic pickup times after route changes: "School has started at 08:45. They didn't get to my house till 10:43 to pick him up for school," she said, describing subsequent service problems that forced her to transport her son to school for several days.
Board members thanked the speakers and later, during board comments, praised Ms. Andrews, the driver recognized earlier in the meeting for calm handling of an Aug. 27 bus accident, and encouraged applications for bus drivers to address staffing shortages.
The board did not take immediate remedial action at the meeting beyond public acknowledgment. Chair Dr. Calcutt earlier said the district is forming a temporary safety committee to study SRO staffing while the district searches for applicants; transportation improvements were described as ongoing in the superintendent's closing remarks. Parents seeking changes to daycare‑specific closure rules and clearer documentation of parental engagement may request follow‑up from the superintendent and district leadership, as Arno requested.
The meeting record shows the board approved routine business that night, including purchase requests and policy readings; McNeil—s safety concerns were heard during the public comment portion of the agenda and remain matters for district staff to investigate and report back to the board.
