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Board hears public complaint about transportation, approves new 2026–27 guidelines and YMCA before/after‑care contract
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Summary
A parent accused the district of failing to follow its hazardous‑transportation procedure; the board then approved revised transportation eligibility and operations for 2026–27, including 1‑mile elementary/2‑mile secondary thresholds, elimination of the pay‑to‑ride city bus, stronger integration with Johnson Bus/Infinite Campus, a parent app and a recommended three‑year YMCA before/after care contract.
A Port Washington resident told the board she repeatedly experienced unsafe and unreliable transportation and alleged the district failed to follow its unusual‑hazard assessment timeline and rewrote hazard policy before board approval. Administrators presented a wide package of transportation changes and a recommended YMCA contract in response to system issues and parent feedback.
Public commenter Tori Meyer said she submitted an unusual‑hazard form on Aug. 15 and received a safety evaluation only months later, in violation of the district’s unusual‑hazard transportation plan requirement to assess within 10 business days. She described repeated route changes, students dropped at incorrect addresses and poor communication, and asked who would be held accountable.
District staff acknowledged past communication shortcomings and presented a set of guidelines for 2026–27: busing eligibility to be door‑to‑door for secondary students living more than 2 miles from school and for elementary students living more than 1 mile from school; continued busing for families who live in mapped unusual hazardous areas even if distance is below the threshold; requirement that students be picked up/dropped off only at the resident address on file (no routine transport to external daycare); continued transportation for students with IEPs when it is specified in their IEP; and elimination of the previous pay‑to‑ride "city bus" option. The district said it vetted practices with neighboring districts and local safety partners and emphasized driver shortages, route efficiency and state transportation aid implications for cost and sustainability.
Administrators described technical fixes: Johnson Bus used district addresses to pre‑route in the Link system; the district is working to integrate Link outputs with Infinite Campus so parents who register will automatically see eligibility and route information; an app will allow secured parent notifications about late buses and route times; and hazard maps and an unusual hazard form will be available on the transportation web page. The district said it will send multiple direct communications to families affected by the removal of the city‑bus option and that staff can do targeted outreach to the ~33 families identified who used that service.
Separately, the district reported the RFP for before/after care produced responses from YMCA, Right At School and Champions and the committee recommended a three‑year contract with the YMCA, which offered lower fees and expanded hours (the committee said care will be available 6 a.m.–6 p.m.). Board members praised the YMCA agreement; administration said the YMCA will offer tiered pricing with sibling and employee discounts and coordinate registration with transportation communications.
The board approved the transportation update and the related motions by roll call; administrators will publish updated guidelines, hazard maps and registration instructions and continue spot‑checking route accuracy before full rollout.
