Illnesses and a shortage of qualified drivers are believed to be the main cause of the transportation delays
By KRYSTAL NURSE
The Sun
From late runs, to delayed mornings and sometimes passed stops, parents are wondering when the buses for Clearview Regional and Mantua school districts will return to normal operations.
For Mantua parents Nicole Dantonio and Tina Rouh, they said their kids have been late coming home on various occasions since the late fall.
The two parents didn’t divulge how late their kids are coming home, but that it’s becoming bothersome and sometimes an inconvenience.
“I had to leave work early on two occasions to pick [my daughter] up from school because she babysits after school and we were concerned that if her bus was late she wouldn’t be able to get to the house where she babysits before the kids got home from school,” said Rouh.
“My two kids that take Clearview buses are at J. Mason Tomlin school, and I get the phone calls and emails all the time about buses being late,” said Dantonio about her Mantua district kids. “Other than my son, Tommy Watkins, being totally passed by [on Jan. 18] by his morning bus, and a bus that had broken down about a month or so ago making my kids late coming home, their buses haven’t been too late getting home.”
Both parents said principals and superintendents have been in constant communication with parents. The Mantua School District has a contract with Clearview Regional to use its buses. It is unknown how much the Harrison Township School District is being affected by this.
“The school called daily to let us know that there were delays, but really didn’t give an explanation,” said Rouh of Clearview.
Mantua Superintendent Robert Fisciaro said the elementary schools’ principals notify affected parents whenever bus routes are late.
“I continuously communicate with principals on a daily basis to let them know what buses will be late or changed, they in turn communicate with parents and students as needed on what the status of the bus is that day,” said Jessica Dadak, transportation supervisor at Clearview. “Also talk with parents on a one to one basis with their concerns.”
Clearview Regional Superintendent John Horchak sent a notice to parents in January letting them know the district is aware of the ongoing transportation issues and is working to resolve them.
Horchak, in the email, said the district is utilizing substitute drivers, drivers from the Harrison Township district (if available), combining some bus routes and contracting the routes out to other qualified drivers. A driver for GCIT was approved to start, at the Jan. 24 board of education meeting, to do morning routes. Parents were also reminded there is a 10-minute window for bus pick ups and drop offs, before and after the time listed on passes.
Fisicaro said part of the reason behind the transportation woes was the district being directed by the state to start its full-day preschool program halfway through the school year. That, however, he added, was an unforeseen consequence of doing a mid-year implementation by the board.
“Had we received it (their expansion aid) earlier in the year, we would’ve had a practice route and window with the buses,” said Fisicaro. “I think we’re improving.”
Dantonio and Rouh agreed both districts are feeling the impact of this just as much as parents and it’s a “stressful situation for everyone.”
Dadak said districts across the state are being affected by the state taking longer than usual, four months, to schedule CDL tests (the license classification required for operating a school bus), and it causes people to lose interest. The flu season is also causing drivers to unexpectedly take time off, which they cannot predict happening.
Regarding the transportation office, parents, as expressed on social media, said they haven’t been able to reach someone to discuss this. Dantonio wants to talk to someone after a substitute driver made an unsafe afternoon drop off.
“I wanted to talk to them about how the driver lets my kids out on the opposite side of the road at the end of the day, and they have to cross Berkley Road, which is 40 miles per hour. I’ve seen people not stop, or try to beat the buses there,” she said.
What do Dantonio and Rouh want the transportation office to do to prevent this in the future?
“End the first run and second run model,” said Rouh. “It’s obviously a large district and they need more buses. My daughter is done school at 2:26 p.m. and has to sit in the cafeteria until after 3 p.m. waiting for the bus because she is on second run. They need to work out a better model that doesn’t leave kids sitting for so long.”
“They definitely need more people to sub in with the buses,” said Dantonio. “I’m not sure what’s really going on that’s causing all of this, but there has to be people that they put in place to drive the buses if it’s just a matter of being short staffed.”
The district is seeking CDL holders who can pass a drug test and background check to drive for the district on a full-time, part-time and substitute basis. Applications are available at www.ClearviewRegional.edu.
“Our drivers and the transportation department are continuing to work hard to ensure our students are safely transported to and from school each day,” said Dadak. “I would like to thank all of Clearview and Mantua parents for their patience while we are working through this issue.”
