Parent tells North Hills board that contracted bus missed middle-school pickup, leaving students stranded

At the public-comment portion of the April 23 meeting, Tori Veil Volbrecht described a late pickup by the district’s contracted busing company on April 21 that left middle-school boys volleyball players waiting unsupervised for an extended period.

Volbrecht told the board the scheduled pickup time at Penn Middle School was 6:00 p.m.; the buses did not arrive until about 7:45 p.m., and students did not return to North Hills Middle School until approximately 8:55 p.m. She said the students were 12 and 13 years old, some without cell phones, and that communication from the bus company and dispatcher was inconsistent.

She said parents and coaches received conflicting explanations: that a driver went to the wrong school, that the dispatcher had trouble reaching the driver, and that a different driver later picked up the students. "I am here speaking to create a public record, escalate the issue, and connect with the community at large over a persistent problem with this busing company," Volbrecht said, and she asked the district for a more detailed explanation in writing by email.

Volbrecht suggested possible remedies, including publishing a list of rival school districts that require drivers to wait after an event and giving written pickup instructions to drivers. She acknowledged that the district’s contract likely precludes immediate vendor changes but urged greater accountability and clearer communication to protect students’ well-being.

The board did not take formal action during the meeting; Mathis thanked Volbrecht for speaking and the issue was left for follow-up outside the meeting.