Parents, students and school officials tell Lawrence council: don't cut high-school busing

Dozens of parents, students and school officials urged the Lawrence City Council on June 15 to retain funding for school bus transportation serving grades 9'12, saying its removal would harm attendance and student safety.

At a public hearing on the mayor's proposed FY2027 budget, Abbott Lawrence Academy parent Mercedes Hernandez Frondon, speaking for the school's PTO, said the city provided buses to more than 1,800 high-school students last year and that eliminating the service would create "significant barriers to attendance, likely resulting in increased tardiness and absenteeism." Hernandez Frondon said dedicated buses provide a "safe, equitable and reliable" path to school that public transit cannot substitute.

The personal toll of lost service was underscored by Abbott Lawrence student Jaylee Perez, who said she has paid for repeated rides this year and that missed class time because of inconsistent transportation has affected her academic record. "My future has been forever changed," Perez told the council.

School committee members and district officials also warned of a funding gap that threatens the service. Jonathan Guzman, an elected at-large member of the Lawrence School Committee, said the district's transportation contract with North Reading Transportation (NRT) has risen to about $13.4 million while the administration proposed $11.7 million, leaving a shortfall the committee said must be addressed.

"Fully funding student transportation remains essential today," Guzman said, and he asked the council to request up-to-date figures on FY2026 spending and any amounts owed to NRT.

Several speakers, including student leaders and PTO officers, described ripple effects beyond classroom hours: without buses, students could lose access to sports, theater, JROTC and other after-school programs, they said, widening disparities for families without cars or flexible work schedules. Liani Herman, a senior at Lawrence High School, estimated more than 3,000 students rely on buses and said forcing students to use public transit would be "inequitable and unsafe," especially in bad weather.

Some speakers proposed alternatives or incremental approaches. Eliya Quinganello, who identified herself as a school committee member and a former school staffer, urged the council and administration to explore options such as competitive contracting or a phased pilot with the Merrimack Valley Transit Authority (MEVA) rather than an immediate, systemwide switch.

Why it matters: Councilors must decide whether to accept, reduce or deny the mayor's budget; if they do not add money, any shortfalls in state reimbursements or in line items such as transportation may force administrators or the school system to reallocate funds. Parents and school officials said transportation is foundational to school access and attendance.

What happened next: The hearing generated broad public opposition to the proposed elimination of high-school busing. The council later voted on the FY2027 budget as presented at the meeting; that motion failed and the council scheduled a follow-up session to continue deliberations.

Evidence: Testimony came in repeated public comments across the hearing, including remarks by Mercedes Hernandez Frondon (PTO president), Jaylee Perez (student), Liani Herman (student), Jonathan Guzman (School Committee) and numerous parents and PTO officers who described the service's scale and the consequences of removing it.

Next step: Councilors said they will reconvene within days to continue budget deliberations; school and city officials were asked to provide up-to-date spending figures and the school's transportation obligations.