Late drop-offs, overcrowded buses frustrate Boone parents

Aug. 27—Kevin Bennett's daughters ended their first day of school Thursday at Daniel Boone Area Intermediate Center by boarding their bus at the normal departure time, shortly after 3:10 p.m.

The two second graders then spent hours circling the district in an overcrowded bus, until finally arriving home after 6 p.m., according to Bennet.

"There was zero communication from the school," Bennet said. "At some point I felt like I might need to call the police, because this felt like child endangerment. ... My heart is palpitating because I was that afraid of what was going on."

Bennet said children were packed into his daughters' bus, as many as three or four to a seat.

"Our neighbors, one of their children said they were having trouble breathing (on the bus)," Bennet said. "There was a feeling of claustrophobia."

He said he called the district multiple times in search of an explanation for the lateness, but his calls went unanswered.

Busing had never been an issue in previous years, said Bennet, who also has a fifth- and eighth-grader in the district.

"It's just been poorly managed, poorly organized," Bennet said of bus service this year. "Very, very poor communication ... The bus driver, who I don't blame, told me they gave her three different sheets, so in theory, she should've been in three different places at the same time."

He said the issues could stem from a new, seven-year contract with Krise Transportation Inc., of western Pennsylvania, who this school year replaced Klein Transportation and New Rhoads Transportation as the district's bus service providers.

Klein and New Rhoads, both of Amity Township within the district, handled student transport since around the time of the district's founding in the 1950s.

The school board's vote to approve the Krise contract in May was met with backlash from Boone residents, who raised issues with what they said was a lack of transparency in decision making, and a lack of answers as to how a nonlocal company would achieve the same quality and consistency of service.

In an emailed statement Friday afternoon, Dr. Brett Cooper, superintendent, said an accident Thursday on Monocacy Creek Road significantly delayed the run of one bus for 45 minutes and lengthened drop-off times for several other buses that had to detour around the closed road.

"The delays in pick-up times and drop-off times of our students, although somewhat consistent with first day busing, is something that we are not satisfied with and will continue to work with Krise Transportation to remedy," Cooper said.

Bennet noted that the district did inform parents Thursday that some buses could be delayed because of an accident on Monocacy Creek Road, and his son, who attends the middle school, had no issues with lateness Thursday.

More criticism

Another district parent, Brett Mayer, said the bus issues largely spawn from the administration's lack of cooperation with parents.

"It has nothing to do with the fact that there's a new bus company," Mayer said. "We had issues with the old company."

Mayer said the district's bus schedule had his kindergartener not arriving home until more than 70 minutes after school let out.

"The (district) director of transportation saw no problem with my 5-year-old spending at least an hour and 10 minutes on a bus," Mayer said.

Mayer said his two children were 30 minutes and an hour late, respectively, coming home Thursday.

District parent Zach Shaner agreed with Bennet's opinion that the new contract with Krise likely influenced busing issues.

Shaner said his son was supposed to be dropped off at an aftercare program Thursday, but was instead left outside Shaner's home with no attempt from the bus driver to verify that the child's parents were home to let him inside — which they weren't.

"They sent him home to our empty house," Shaner said. "Luckily our neighbor was there, and got him."

Shaner said he also had no issues with busing in prior years.

"(The district this year) seems like they don't really care," Shaner said. "We were on the edge of even sending my kid to school (Friday)."

Another Daniel Boone parent, Darlene Tillman, said her daughter, a first grader, was placed on the wrong bus, taken to the wrong bus stop, and prompted to leave by the bus driver.

Tillman said her daughter refused to get off at the wrong place, and was taken back to the school, where she waited in the office.

"I never got a phone call the entire time she was there (at the office)," Tillman said. "If I wasn't tracking her, I would've had no idea where she was."

Tillman said the problems continued Friday morning, when buses never came to pick up her four children.

"I am so completely disgusted and disgruntled by the way the district is handling all this," Tillman said. "No matter what department you call, no one answers."

District apologetic

When asked for further comment on issues with overcrowded buses and incorrect drop offs, Cooper said the following: "We continue to look at our routing. We continue to look at the concerns that the community is bringing to our attention, and apologize once again for those inconveniences."

Mayer noted that he and other families are attempting to remedy the situation with state Sen. Katie Muth, a Montgomery County Democrat, who represents a portion of Berks that includes part of the school district.

Muth said her staff has discussed the bus issues at length with both Boone administrators and leadership at Berks County Intermediate Unit Thursday and Friday.

"It is my hope that the district can work with the new transportation contractor and families to accommodate their transportation needs and to continue to communicate any delays moving forward," Muth said.