Posted: 7/9/03

Junior high double busing OKíd for fall

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

A change in busing procedures that was part of a school boundary change report in May isnít a done deal after all.

The school board on Monday, acting on a recommendation from the administration, voted to continue double-busing of Grade 8 and Grade 9 students this fall for a minimum of one year.

In May, the school board adopted a boundary change committee report that called for an end of the double-busing procedure as a cost-saving step. Parents who were expecting to send their son or daughter to a school where double-busing was required would have been asked to find alternate transportation means for some of the routes.

But after more deliberation, the administration asked the board on Monday to back away from the change for a simple reason. The new policy was made well after this fallís Grade 8 and 9 students had registered for classes.

ìSince junior high students scheduled their classes in their respective junior high school buildings this past winter, it is believed that eliminating the double busing for the 2003-2004 school term is not in the best interests of the affected students and parents,î the administration said in its report to the board on Monday.

The change was supported by a 7-0 board vote, but came with a strong opinion from member Karen Morehead who urged the administration to make personal contacts with parents to inform them of the change.

Morehead said some parents are now making plans to get their children to school because of the May decision to end double busing.

Donley Johnson, director of administration and instruction, said 50 to 80 students are affected by the change. He agreed to the request to notify parents of the change, possibly by sending a brief notice with the bus cards that are sent to parents in August in advance of the fall school term.

To avoid this problem in the future, Johnson said the boundary change committee will begin its work in September and bring a report to the board in December well in advance of the winter junior high school registration for next school year.

While the change approved Monday involves students in Grades 8 and 9, it does not impact this fallís Grade 7 students who did not register early. This springís sixth-graders have been scheduled in their appropriate junior high school for the start of school this fall.

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