Parent tells school committee bus‑stop change is needed after routing would force 9‑year‑old to walk on unsafe road

Adam Bachelder, a Millville resident and parent, asked the Blackstone‑Millville School Committee on June 11 to fix what he described as a “serious safety concern” in the district’s bus‑stop routing. Bachelder said his daughter, who is currently in third grade and escorted from the bus by a guardian, will be required to walk alone when she enters fourth grade. He said the proposed route would require her to walk roughly three‑quarters of a mile on roads with no sidewalks, “tight corners, and many blind spots.”

Bachelder told the committee he tested the earlier practice by not meeting the bus and that the bus returned with his child when she was younger, a practice he said the district still requires for the current grade. “If the school believes she needs a guardian at the bus stop in May, she needs a safe road to walk in in September,” he said, asking the committee to either continue bus service to his stop through fourth grade, establish a protected walking route, or grant an individual exemption for families on roads without pedestrian infrastructure. He also asked the district to consider after‑school options that would keep his daughter on campus until an adult is available.

Committee members asked for clarification about whether district policy had changed with recent grade‑configuration adjustments. The chair said administrators had not previously been made aware of this specific family’s issue and that the superintendent would look into the request and follow up with the family the next day.

The committee did not make a policy decision during the meeting; members asked administration to investigate the routing rule, confirm whether the parent’s description matched current practice, and report back with whether an exemption process is available or required.