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Parents press Rome City School District on winter bus routes and student safety
Summary
Multiple parents told the Rome City School District board that students from several neighborhoods lack district busing in winter, describing snow-covered roads and no sidewalks that force children into traffic; the superintendent pledged a callback and a transportation review.
Parents and a former board member urged the Rome City School District Board of Education on Monday to address winter busing and walking safety after recent snowy conditions.
"They would have to literally stop in the street to see if a car is coming in order for it to be safe enough to cross that street," said Gino Malachi, a former board member and parent, describing sidewalks blocked by snow and high snow banks near Madison Street and Turn Road that he said make walking to school hazardous. Jessica Delaney and Alyssa Uria, two parents from the Knollwood Circle area, described longstanding routes that district buses previously served and said poor lighting and blind spots make the current arrangement unsafe for children.
The concerns focused on routes where sidewalks are missing or covered in snow. Delaney said the elementary school bus, operated by First Student, still runs a similar route without issue, and she questioned why the district-operated bus for Stroud Middle School had been rerouted. Uria added that families had raised related safety concerns in previous years and cited an incident of a vehicle leaving the road on a steep nearby hill during winter.
Superintendent (identified in the meeting only by role) thanked speakers for raising the concerns and said families should expect direct follow-up. "You can definitely expect a callback because we do follow through on what we say so that we can understand the issue directly so that we can problem solve," she said, and indicated that Dr. Georgia Gonzales, the assistant superintendent for business and operations, would contact families the following day.
The superintendent also addressed the larger context of weather-related decisions in her oral report, saying the district uses a multi-step process that includes forecasts, road conditions, input from transportation and facilities staff, and consultation with neighboring Madison-Oneida BOCES districts. She added the district will work with transportation and facilities teams to prioritize safety, salt and shovel high-risk walking areas where feasible, and review routing decisions.
What happens next: staff told the board that the assistant superintendent for business and operations will follow up with families who left contact information, and that the transportation team is conducting a study and will provide further recommendations.
The board moved on to other agenda items after the public comment period; the meeting later entered executive session and did not return to public session.
