Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District to test moving elementary buses to back lot; board demands data, safety review
Summary
Superintendent outlined a plan to move elementary bus arrival and dismissal to the back of the building to reduce roadway congestion. Several board members urged a formal study and asked staff to collect data during a short trial; the board will review results at its next meeting on Sept. 17.
The Marion Central School District superintendent presented a plan to shift elementary bus arrival and dismissal from the front of the building to a back lot, saying the district now runs seven buses (down from 13 previously), current buses are shorter and every bus could access sidewalks behind the school.
Superintendent (speaker S7) said the change was tested over the summer and modeled with staff on opening days, and explained operational details: the first bus would drop students at Door 9 (breakfast access), kindergarten would use Door 16, and dismissal would proceed by grade level with teachers walking students to buses so each child boards with an adult escort. "Now we're at 7, which allows every bus to have sidewalk access and no students having to walk through the parking lot," the superintendent said.
Several board members pressed for more information and cautioned against making a permanent change without additional study. Board member (speaker S5) said drivers had reported difficulty making turns, raised concerns about winter conditions and said, "I don't mind a change, but I mind a change like this with is if there isn't a study ... I don't want our kids to be the guinea pigs to see if this will work." Chair (speaker S1) asked whether the change was an operational decision for administration or a board-level policy decision and urged staff to bring back findings: "If it doesn't provide benefit or it provides more safety issues, then I think we need to ask you guys to look at going back to what it was."
The superintendent and other members proposed a short trial and data collection. The district will monitor timing and congestion (staff said mornings currently take roughly 10–15 minutes for drop-off), check camera coverage of the bus areas, staff additional crossing attendants at north and south crosswalks, and report initial impressions at the board's next meeting on Sept. 17. The superintendent committed to having extra staff on site for the first days of the trial.
The board did not take formal action to permanently change policy at the meeting. Instead, members agreed to monitor the operational trial, collect data and revisit the matter at the next regular meeting.
