School officials ‘deeply disappointed’ with bus service
By Mike BergerCanton School Committee members plan to ramp up the pressure on new bus contractor First Student and will invite company representatives to its next meeting to address mounting complaints, particularly with bus service at the elementary schools and St. John the Evangelist School.
School Committee Chair Kristian Merenda, after hearing from several concerned parents, said the problems are not the fault of CPS administrators but fall squarely on the shoulders of First Student. School Superintendent Derek Folan added that busing problems have taken up approximately 75 percent of his and administrators’ time since the start of the school year.
In a statement issued after last week’s School Committee meeting, Merenda said, “I think I can speak for the committee and many in our community when I say that we have been deeply disappointed with the level of service provided by First Student since the start of schools. Their outcomes thus far do not reflect the standards that were outlined in the bid process and contract. While challenges are to be expected with any major transition in service, the fact that egregious errors continue to happen and inconsistent service remains on some routes almost five weeks into the school year, and that those issues are ostensibly not being actively managed at the highest levels by the company, has called into question the long-term viability of their relationship with the district.”
“I stand by the comments shared in our last meeting,” she continued. “Our students, families, schools and community deserve more. It is unfortunate because we had hoped that this company would bring new solutions and additional benefits including a reserve of available drivers and extra safety features, which would improve our overall bussing conditions. They came to us with a track record of serving nearby districts and schools well. We would like nothing more than for that to be the case in Canton.”
“Together with our administration, the School Committee has called for a number of urgent action steps to be taken by First Student to address all major concerns and bring them to immediate resolution,” Merenda added. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely and are prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure that reliable, on-time, professional busing service is restored for all stakeholders in short order.”
Folan said while bus routes at the middle and high schools have shown marked improvement, the progress …
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Posted by Mike Berger
on Sep 30 2022. Filed under News, Schools.
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