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McDonald County commissioners inspect Duffield Road after East Newton Schools halts bus service
Summary
After East Newton Schools notified residents that buses would not run on Duffield Road beginning Nov. 19 until the county maintained the roadway, the McDonald County Commission inspected Duffield, Thor and Tiger roads and said the roads were suitable for school buses; the commission will contact the East Newton superintendent.
The McDonald County Commission on Nov. 18 reviewed a letter from Perry Mason, transportation director for East Newton Schools, saying that beginning Nov. 19 the district would not operate its school bus on Duffield Road until the road had been maintained by the McDonald County Road and Bridge Department. In response, the commission conducted a drive-by inspection of Duffield Road and later drove Thor Road and Tiger Road.
After viewing the roads, the commission determined those stretches were maintained sufficiently for a school bus to operate and said it would contact the East Newton superintendent to discuss the district’s suspension of service. The meeting minutes record that the commission “decided to drive Duffield Road” and that, after inspection, it concluded the road was maintained properly for a school bus to drive.
The item arose from a citizen request to observe a right-of-way on Mill Creek Road; the minutes list that request among general business. The minutes do not record a formal motion or vote on the inspection or any motion to compel maintenance; they instead record the commission’s decision to inspect the roads and to follow up with the district.
The minutes list Presiding Commissioner Bryan Hall, Eastern Commissioner Jamey Cope, Western Commissioner Rick Lett and County Clerk Kimberly Bell as present. No statement identifying which commissioner spoke to the letter or made the inspection decision is recorded in the minutes excerpt. The minutes also note the commission conducted other general county business and adjourned; the commission planned to reconvene Nov. 20, 2024.
Next steps recorded in the minutes are the commission’s planned contact with the East Newton superintendent and the scheduled reconvening on Nov. 20. The minutes do not specify whether the county’s Road and Bridge Department will perform additional maintenance work or a timetable for any repairs.
