Bus safety is a matter that is currently being addressed all across the nation.
Locally, North Judson-San Pierre Transportation Director Wilbur Collins took action this winter to install cameras on all the busses to catch drivers who pass them when the stop arm is extended.
Adjustments were also made to the bus routes to eliminate potentially unsafe pick-ups and drop-offs.
School officials are taking another step to improve student safety with a transportation policy change that’s included in the proposed handbooks for next school year.
According to Elementary School Principal Julie Berndt, the school receives approximately 75-80 transportation changes per day. They come in the form of faxes, phone calls and emails at various times.
So far, office personnel and bus drivers have done a good job keeping up with all the different arrangements, however, school officials worry that the inconsistency is ultimately problematic.
Director Collins explained that he reached out to other transportation officials on a public forum and received over 30 responses from school corporations who experience similar issues.
Some places, such as Mill Creek and Franklin County Schools, sent along their policies. Others expressed that they were also overwhelmed from trying to accommodate various requests and asked for additional information on effective procedures and implementation.
To address the problem at NJ-SP, a policy that would only allow for one A.M. pick-up location and one P.M. drop-off location is being proposed. Those two locations could differ from one another.
Exceptions would only be made in the case of emergencies or when the Starke County Youth Club does not meet. Guardians would also be able to arrange to pick their child up, as long as they contact the office prior to 11 a.m.
Though Principal Berndt presented a majority of the information about this proposed policy change, Principal Jim Polite noted that it would also be reflected at the Junior/Senior High as well.
When the policy was reviewed at last week’s school board meeting, a concern was raised about parents who are consistent with their arrangements but don’t always have students dropped off at the same location. For example, children who always get dropped off at a certain relative’s house on a particular day but go home the rest of the week.
Superintendent Dr. Annette Zupin indicated that they’re mostly interested in cutting down on the daily changes that come in to help get students to their destination safely and consistently.
She noted that some adjustments could possibly be made to the policy to ensure those who aren’t taking advantage of the system won’t be negatively impacted.
Members were encouraged to continue reviewing the policy and sending in their suggestions prior to the school board’s next meeting in May when the handbooks will be up for adoption.
You can hear more from the school board’s handbook discussion tomorrow at noon during WKVI’s Kankakee Valley Viewpoints Program.
