Board approves Right Way bus contract despite parent concerns over bell times

The Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District Board of Education voted April 13 to approve a contract with Right Way bus services, a decision trustees said was necessary to secure transportation while some parents raised concerns about bell times. Meredith Whitman moved the contract approval; the motion passed by voice vote and the board chair abstained.

Whitman, a board member, acknowledged emails and concerns from parents that arose after a district survey about bus schedules. She told the board the start-time issues are multifaceted and not solely the vendor’s responsibility: “It is not Rightway’s fault,” Whitman said, adding that the board and staff can revisit school start and end times if needed so schedules better align with transportation.

Trustees discussed that the bus contract’s approval does not permanently fix bell times; Whitman said start times are not set in stone for the length of the contract and can be adjusted in the future if operational issues persist. The transcript records a voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes. The chair announced an abstention rather than a yes or no vote.

The board did not schedule a specific follow-up on bell times at the April 13 meeting. The contract approval moves forward transportation planning for the upcoming school year, and any operational changes to start times would require further administrative work or a future board discussion.