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Parents press Kenston Local board over bus routes, overcrowding and communication
Summary
Multiple parents at Kenston Local’s Sept. 15 meeting urged the board to fix long, crowded bus routes, unsafe drop‑off stops and poor communication after a chaotic start to the school year; the superintendent said administrators are actively testing adjustments and will report back to families.
At the Sept. 15 meeting of the Kenston Local School District Board of Education, a string of parents told trustees that transportation problems have left students on buses too long, riding on crowded routes and sometimes arriving home early without notice.
"Our bus route is 24 miles long for our students," said Julian Smith, an Auburn Township parent, describing routes he called excessively long and noting one parent timed a 39‑minute trip around the route without stops. Smith told the board he has seen buses operate with "three to a seat," adding that middle‑school students sometimes carry large instruments that complicate seating and safety.
Other parents gave similar testimony. Carrie Weese, of Chagrin, said neighborhood stops force some children to walk along a high‑speed segment of South Spring Valley and cited police data showing average speeds near 43 mph. "If all of you are okay with your students walking on a side of a road at 43 miles an hour, come talk to me," she said, urging the district to select safer stop locations.
Kelsey Sanadak told the board that on Aug. 27 children were released before the official end of the day and that some were sent to empty homes. "By law in Ohio, you cannot have 9‑year‑olds at home alone," Sanadak said, calling the event a safety issue and asking why the StopFinder tracking app had not been functioning for all routes.
Jody Sockett said two of her children are on different routes and described one bus that passes her house minutes before a second bus arrives overloaded. "These kids are on there for an hour," she said, adding that students are arriving at school hungry because lunch windows are short and bus rides long. Lisa Bridal and other speakers raised additional safety concerns, field‑trip notification timing and playground access for younger students.
In response, Superintendent Dr. Willingham said the administration is "actively working on all the issues you brought up" and that "someone will follow‑up with you on your specific situations." He told the board parents will receive an update soon as route changes are tested and reviewed.
The board did not take immediate formal action at the meeting to change routes; trustees said administrators are testing adjustments and will report results to families. The public‑comment period lasted more than an hour and reflected repeated calls for clearer communication, safer stop selection and faster fixes for the district’s GPS/StopFinder issues.
The meeting moved to routine business and then adjourned into executive session after trustees approved consent and personnel items on the agenda.
