School bus issues in one South Jersey town have parents stressed

A Burlington County school district says it might have to cut school bus transportation because of difficulty hiring a driver.

Delanco Township said they learned about three weeks ago that the district they contract with to cover their school bus route would not be able to do it this year.  

“Because of their problem getting bus drivers, they could no longer do our run,” said Arlene Biesiada, interim school business administrator. “I have contacted other contracting companies, and they all have the same problem. They do not have the drivers.”

Most students in Delanco Township already walk to school, according to the district, but there is one school bus route for students grades K-8. The students eligible live a little more than a mile from the school in an area of town where they would have to cross a busy road to access the sidewalk.

While the township is not required by state law to provide busing to students who live within two miles of the school, they have provided busing to these students in the past because of the safety concern.

The first day of school is about two weeks away and still no bus driver has been hired. The board of education is expected to discuss the issue at a meeting on Wednesday night, August 21. If a driver is not hired by the first day of school the district would effectively eliminate courtesy busing.

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“By law anything under 2 miles, they are walkers,” said Biesiada.

Yamilec Branch is one of the parents affected. With two children who take the bus, she is frustrated she didn’t learn about the problem sooner.

“No email, no snail mail. Nothing. Just kind of shoved into the meeting agenda,” said Branch “All of the reasons that my kids had to get bused in the first place still exist. There is not enough adequate sidewalks from here to school, no crossing guards, the crosswalks are not all there so it is not set up for a pedestrian walkway for an adult let alone a five-year-old.”

Kevin Bain lives next door. He has similar concerns for his daughter, who is entering the first grade.

“I can’t have a 6-year-old walking to school,” said Bain. “Something has to change. This can’t be acceptable two or three weeks before school starts. It’s just not doable.”