Parents, military families urge Papillion La Vista schools to study expanded middle/high‑school busing
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Summary
Multiple parents and military‑connected families told the school board that middle- and high-school students living nearly four miles from campus lack safe, reliable transportation and demanded a transparent study and public timeline for expanded busing. Speakers said internal notes, not a formal analysis, informed the district’s prior public statements.
Three-sentence lede: At the March 9 Papillion La Vista Community Schools Board of Education meeting, four speakers pressed the district to produce a transparent analysis and timeline for expanded middle- and high-school bus service, saying families face unsafe crossings and inconsistent access. Nut graf: Commenters—Angie Cantrell, Stephanie Barton, Angie Fair (active‑duty family), and Rebecca Baruth—said the district has told media expanded busing is not viable but provided only undated internal slides and subcommittee minutes, not a formal study; they urged the board to align policy with safety and its Purple Star military‑family designation.
The public-comment segment opened with Angie Cantrell, who said many local families have two working parents and that transportation gaps force unsafe or unsustainable workarounds. "Too expensive is not a study," Cantrell said, alleging the district provided only internal discussions and no formal report in response to a records request.
Stephanie Barton, a substitute teacher, cited district documents she said listed widely varying estimates — an internal meeting minute that put five bus routes at roughly $250,000 per year and a PowerPoint that estimated 10 routes at $760,000 — and contrasted those figures with recent board-approved capital expenditures. She challenged the board to explain why technology refresh and a track replacement were funded while expanded transportation was deemed unaffordable, and she criticized reliance on the district’s 4‑mile policy, which she said dates to 1927 and is not an adequate safety standard today.
Angie Fair, speaking as an active‑duty military spouse, said the district’s Purple Star designation should mean "meaningful, tangible support" and described the logistics and job‑security burdens military families face when school transportation is not provided. Rebecca Baruth, who has children at two schools, urged the board to analyze other districts and produce clear numbers before deciding, warning that middle-school students are particularly vulnerable when crossing major roads.
Superintendent Dr. Rickley responded that the Buildings, Grounds & Finance subcommittee (three of six board members) met and that identical information will be presented to the other three members on March 24; he said that subcommittee material will include costs and parent‑pay options and that the board cannot promise an outcome until all members have seen the same information. The superintendent did not present a formal, public study at the meeting.
Ending: The board did not vote or set a deadline for a public study at the March 9 meeting; the administration said the topic will be discussed again in committee and to the full board when all members have received the same information.
