![]() ![]() “We’ll be able to reduce the number of students that we’re getting home an hour late from school currently, and we’ll be able to really be more efficient with how we load our buses,” Mapes said. Transportation issues have plagued districts across the state and country as schools grapple with a bus driver shortage. Officials said the current choice program creates an inefficient transportation system that leaves some buses underutilized even as the district can’t find enough drivers for all its buses. “Quite frankly, our children deserve better than a loose Band-Aid.” “This proposal is a loose Band-Aid that will not serve Perry Township’s transportation issues,” said McKenna Allen, whose daughter attends Rosa Parks. Parents also urged the district to find another solution to the driver shortage, arguing that the plan does not fix the problem and further disrupts children’s learning after a rough few years from the pandemic. “I don’t want to be scared about starting over without my teacher.” “What you are doing makes me feel helpless again,” Leanor said. Leanor Formo, a third grader at Rosa Parks Elementary, described the challenge of leaving her friends at school when she was diagnosed with cancer before the pandemic. Parents and students pushed back against the plan before the vote on Monday, arguing that the change would be unfair to students who love their school communities. Students who attend a choice school or a school outside of their attendance boundary will be given priority to stay at their current school if there is space and families provide transportation, Mapes said. “Then we’ll start doing the open houses at those schools to invite the students who currently aren’t there to come into those buildings,” he told reporters after the vote. ![]() ![]() ![]() Superintendent Patrick Mapes said he hopes the district will process applications and notify students by the March spring break about school assignments for next school year. “But I know how much we’ve all listened and will continue to listen.”ĭistrict officials hope to outline in January rules for the application process for student transfers. “Nothing’s going to be perfect we’re a massive, massive district and decisions are often difficult and complicated,” board member Hannah Dale said. Courtesy of Metropolitan School District of Perry Townshipīoard members acknowledged that the decision did not satisfy everyone. ![]()
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