Cranston Slashing School Bus Service Next Year - Now, Parents Are Mobilizing in Opposition
GoLocalProv News Team
Cranston Slashing School Bus Service Next Year - Now, Parents Are Mobilizing in Opposition
According to Cranston schools, more than a half dozen buses are being eliminated next year; bus stops for secondary school students are being diminshed and consolidated into "depots" — with no information as to what those look like at this time; and transportation to and from child care centers is being eliminated.
The school department says that the cuts are due to a lack of drivers and that the budgetary cut for the changes would purportedly save $700,000 annually.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTNow, parents are voicing their concerns over logistical implications — and have started a petition in opposition to the changes.
Letter to Parents
This week, the “Cranston Leadership Team” at Cranston Public Schools sent the following message to families.
“Please be advised that Cranston Public Schools will be realigning bus routes beginning in the 2024-2024 school year. On the secondary level, depots will be established in place of bus stops in some areas. Some of these debts will be on existing school property such as elementary and middle schools in order to transport students to middle and high schools," Cranston officials wrote.
"On the elementary level, we will continue with bus stops. However, we will no longer be providing transportation to and from childcare centers. We are advising child care providers of this change and we want to give you enough time to make alternate plans for next year. You will be notified of bus stops and depots in August,” Cranston officials added.
Concerned Parents Respond
Following the release of the letter this week, a petition was started opposing the cuts — and to daycare centers in particular.
Lauren Hayden, a parent in Cranston, wrote in a letter to fellow parents, "This letter came out to parents [Tuesday] afternoon. It states CPSED transportation will no longer pick-up or drop-off to the local daycares, which provides the before and and after school care for so many children of working families. The cost is astronomical for child care to begin with. Now these parents have to pay for another transportation service on top of child care. Not everyone has job flexibility or family to help. What do these parents do?
"Parents and children sacrificed so much during covid and now parents are working harder than ever in this current economic climate to afford basic life needs. To be faced with more uncertainty and/or added expenses and the stress of figuring out how to get our children to school is simply unfair," added Hayden.
Hayden outlined how the changes will be disruptive to families and especially working parents trying to balance their children's transportation and their own commute to work.
"Some elementary schools start at 9:05. Most working parents need to be in work before 9-9:30 am. It is very unfortunate that Cranston can't do better for its children and taxpayers. The middle school and high school situation is very unclear. What is CPSED's idea of a 'depot.' Waiting until August for clarity is outrageously unfair to parents," she wrote. "So for parents who leave for work and their child gets themself on a bus a few house away from their home, will now have to drive them to a 'depot'?"
Money — and Drivers — in Focus
According to the Cranston School Department, the changes to the bus system will both provide costs savings and address what the department says is a lack of drivers.
"These changes are being made to eliminate routes and the length of runs as well as decrease the number of buses on the road and the need to double up on runs due to lack of drivers," Assistant Superintendent Norma Cole told GoLocal in an email.
"District busing to schools 23-24 the cost was approximately $8,000,000. This does not include transportation for out-of-district, sports, etc," said Cole. "By consolidating the bus fleet and eliminating seven buses next year, we will reduce the cost of in-district busing to schools by approximately $700,000 dollars. So the cost projected for next year is $7,300,000."
As noted in the letter, Cole confirmed that the district is "presently working on stops and depots for next year" but has yet to provide specifics.
"There are presently nine child care centers who provide transportation for families to and from their centers to our schools. Parents pay tuition for their children to attend those centers," said Cole. "We also provide before and after school programs at 7 of our schools presently. We are encouraging all daycare centers to provide transportation for families who utilize their services and we will continue to expand programs in our schools to assist families."