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Parents, teachers and councilors press BPS on chronic bus delays as administration pledges enforcement and fixes
Summary
At a March 30 emergency hearing, Boston parents and educators described repeated bus cancellations and hours-long delays that are disrupting instruction and straining families; BPS cited recent improvements in on-time performance but acknowledged an uptick in uncovered trips and said it would assess contractual penalties and pursue operational fixes.
Boston City Councilors and dozens of parents pressed Boston Public Schools leaders on March 30 over chronic school bus delays that families say are depriving students of instruction and destabilizing household schedules.
"This past year has been the worst by far in relation to buses being late or canceled," said Lori Murphy, a Rosendale parent, testifying during the committee's public-comment period. Parents, teachers and advocates described individual routes with repeated cancellations, students missing morning ASL instruction at Horace Mann, and families paying out of pocket for alternate transport.
Councilor Erin Murphy, the lead sponsor of docket 0374, framed the hearing as an equity issue driven by an increase in both the frequency and severity of failures. "Families, educators, and community members continue to report transportation failures after affecting schools across multiple neighborhoods," she said in opening remarks, noting BPS provides daily transportation for roughly 20,000 students.
BPS Transportation Director Dan Rosengard told the committee that the system serves about 625 buses and roughly 19,000…
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