Parents decry late, overcrowded and misrouted buses; superintendent defends choice to sign with ABC Transit

Dozens of residents told the Ambridge Area School District board on Sept. 18 that the district’s bus service had repeatedly failed this fall, with reports of missed routes, students left at the wrong stops, long delays and overcrowded vehicles.

The complaints dominated the meeting’s public-comment period and prompted extended responses from Superintendent Dr. Pasquarello and representatives of ABC Transit, the district’s current transportation contractor. “We apologize for anything that may have caused you any inconvenience,” Dr. Pasquarello said, acknowledging the disruption and promising continued follow-up with ABC.

Why it matters: The service lapses affect daily attendance and student safety and have spurred calls for clearer communication and contingency plans. Several speakers also raised concerns about the contract’s length and cost and about a possible conflict of interest involving a board member who works for or with ABC-related operations.

What residents said: Multiple parents described children arriving late or missing instruction, drivers who could not be reached and buses that arrived at incorrect stops. One commenter summarized contract-related concerns, saying the recently signed eight-year agreement with ABC raised district costs and could increase expenditures by roughly $2.6 million over five years (as stated by the commenter). Another parent said a child was missing for an extended period on the first day of school and called the experience unacceptable.

ABC Transit’s account and response: ABC representatives said the company’s routing software underwent a late upgrade that required rebuilding routes from scratch and that, in an initial phase, routing was done on a demo file, which forced the company to restart routing work multiple times. ABC said staff worked extended hours to re-route vehicles and that it has added dedicated routing staff for Ambridge. An ABC representative acknowledged the company’s operational failures and told the board it would increase vehicle checks and address specific routes reported by parents.

Superintendent’s explanation: Dr. Pasquarello told the board that when the previous contractor, Rhodes, signaled it could not continue, district leaders negotiated with available vendors to ensure transportation would be available for the start of school. He said the board negotiated a capped CPI provision and secured first-year rates in writing to limit immediate cost exposure. “We needed to make sure our children had transportation,” he said, explaining the timing and constraints that shaped the district’s decision.

Ethics and accountability questions: Several commenters raised the prospect of a conflict because a board officer has a role connected to transportation services; the solicitor addressed that directly, saying, based on the Pennsylvania State Ethics Act and district policy, the member “in no way violates the Pennsylvania State Ethics Act” and has abstained from relevant deliberations, per the solicitor’s statement.

Board action and follow-up: Trustees repeatedly said they share residents’ frustration and emphasized the district’s priority is to get children to school on time and safely. Several board members and administrators encouraged parents to report specific incidents (route numbers, bus numbers and times) so the district and ABC can address problems directly; ABC said it would respond to flagged routes the next day and increase inspection frequency.

What’s next: The board directed administration to continue pressing ABC to meet contract obligations and to report back on corrective actions. The solicitor offered to review contractual remedies if the problems persist, while the superintendent said the immediate focus remains restoring reliable service.

Provenance: Topic began with ABC’s presentation and resident comments (transcript SEG 212) and continued through the board’s and ABC’s responses (transcript through SEG 2550).