As earlier reported, Board President Barry Iann has called for an emergency meeting of the Lakewood Board of Education on March 1, 2016 at 6:30 P.M. in the high school auditorium.
Board President Iann released the following statement to TLS:
The purpose of the meeting is for the Board to address fourteen (14) bus routes that remain uncovered due to the route cancellation notices that were issued prior to the decision to continue courtesy busing. As a result of the State’saction to cancel these contracts, hundreds of students are now at imminent risk of losing their busing. The Board will take action to so that every available option for covering these routes is implemented including, but not limited to utilizing five District-owned busses which, the Board was told remain idle during certain parts of the school day. During a community relations meeting which occurred several months ago with Board President Gonzalez and Board Member Isaac Zlatkin, a similar, but related issue was addressed when these board members questioned why Lakewood-owned busses were sitting idle when bus routes remained uncovered, potentially putting our kids in harm’s way. They asked that these busses be fully utilized so that all routes could be covered, however, the Administration did not agree to do so.
By having this emergency meeting, the Board will take decisive action to address the problem with these fourteen (14) unserviced routes in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of Lakewood children.
[TLS]
I love the way everyone is so concerned about these few routes who, poor them, will need to drive their (unmandated) kids to school for a few weeks, while there have been parents losing work time and shlepping out way more than 2.5 miles ever day for months and noone gave a hoot.
TLS, why not report THOSE ppl? Those of us who have given up on calling and asking, begging, the BOE. Use your power of the press, since the BOE apparently reads this news site, and get our routes paid for!!!
Still no talk about the mandated bussing students still waiting from September for a bus. Why are these courtesy bussing students getting priority? Where is the logic???
to # 1 not all kids that lost there busing today are close to there school. my daughters school is over 4 miles away. how do you expect people to pay there tuition when they have to cut there work hours in order to drive their kids.
My son lives over 4 miles from his school and I’ve been driving him every day….any chance of seeing a bus this year? Next year?
I am eager to see how great the turnout will be tonight at the meeting.
Should be huge…
There are approximately 45 routes that have not been picked up from the beginning of the year. I would like to suggest that all these parents show up tonight and demand bussing for the safety of our children
Any new money should be used to pay for the routes that haven;t picked up since the beginning of the year. Let the unmandated parents drive their kids for the remainder of the year and let the mandated parents get busing for at least a few months.
Maybe the Board Members should be required to drive their kids to school so long as there are bus routes not picked up.
These routes are not courtesy busing routes they are mandated and courtesy together.
Maybe the brilliant solution of only awarding courtsey routes to be filled after the mandatory ones are filled will help! The bus companies are looking to make the most money. But the BOE needs to have rules and standards.
whether they are mandated or courtesy routes that were now dropped, these are routes that had transportation for 6 months of the school year. If we are going to fight for routes being picked up, isn’t it fair to gives those (and yes I am a mandated route, still awaiting reimbursement) who have not had any transportation for six long months a chance for their children to get bussing?!
Why does the BOE even allow Courtesy routes to be filled before mandatory routes? Obviously they will choose the routes they make the most money on first (closer to school = less hours to be paid to driver). There has got to be a smarter system in place! Or less money offered per child on Courtesy routes.
tonight in the high school at 6:30? are you sure bec one of the girls high schools is scheduled to use the auditorium all evening, to practice for their play
Where is bus on the way home for my daughter? This is hurting me tremously. I beg BOE to something about this issue.
To little me: yeah we have had to cut work hours and run around since SEPTEMBER. Not too sympathetic to those who only have this issue for one dau.
i also have another daughter who has not had an busing the whole year. the only problem is that the job i have does not allow for me to drive my daughter so i had to hire someone to drive her. my husband can’t take her either since he works out of town and leaves early in the morning.
Hi TLS,
can someone arrange a meeting at the Lakewood HS for all parents and children who still don’t have bussing since the beginning of the year. no pressure no results!