BONSALL: Absence of school buses not getting any easier
Parents ask for return of buses; district trying to get four back on the road
By TOM PFINGSTEN - Staff Writer | ∞
Parent volunteer Mike Neil handles traffic control in front of Bonsall Elementary school on Wednesday. (Photo by Don Boomer - Staff Photographer) BONSALL ---- With frustration mounting among parents in Bonsall over canceled bus routes and long commutes in shuttling their kids to and from school, the district's top official said Wednesday he plans to reinstate several of the routes.
The Bonsall Union School District Board of Trustees voted in April to stop providing school bus transportation and lay off eight bus drivers as part of an attempt to cover a projected $900,000 budget shortfall for the 2008-09 fiscal year.
But Superintendent Justin Cunningham, who took over in July, said he knew it wouldn't work to do away with the school bus system in one fell swoop.
"When I first came in, I said, 'You can't eliminate transportation, you've got to at least have a minimum,' " Cunningham said. "Some of the middle school students are 15, 20 miles away from Sullivan (Middle School)."
The district has already replaced two of the previously canceled routes serving the most remote corners of the district, he said.
Those buses pick students up from Pala to the east and near Oceanside at the far west boundary of the district and drop them off at Sullivan Middle School off Lilac Road.
Now, the challenge is to alleviate the twice-daily congestion that clogs Old River Road and Camino del Rey near Bonsall Elementary School ---- the district's largest campus.
"No one's happy," said Kirsten Kindel, saying she spends up to two hours a day driving her daughter to and from the Old River Road school, where parents say the effects of eliminating the bus routes have been the worst out of the district's four schools. "I usually sit out there for 40 minutes to an hour before the kids come out."
Cunningham said it will take a couple more weeks before a third bus route can be restored ---- this one running between Lake Rancho Viejo, the largest neighborhood in the district, and Bonsall Elementary.
"The problem is finding drivers now ---- to get a part-time driver is tough," he said, adding that the district is in the process of hiring one potential driver. "Not only is it a part-time position, but it's a split shift. We've got some buses that we can run, but then we have the problem of finding drivers to do that. When they let those drivers go (in June), they got jobs elsewhere.
"We're trying to patch it together right now."
During several board meetings last spring, the issue of whether to eliminate all the district's school bus routes drew record numbers of outraged parents.
Many of those who attended the meetings asked the district to reconsider the transportation cuts, pointing out that Bonsall is a rural community with no sidewalks on most roads and long distances to cover between home and school.
Kindel, who lives at Lake Rancho Viejo, said she found out about the cuts a few weeks before the April meeting where the final vote to lay off the bus drivers was taken.
"Last year, the bus drivers sent notices with the kids and we went to the school board meeting," she recalled. "We all voiced our concerns and said, basically, (Old River Road) is not designed for that much traffic, especially being in a rural area. There's one way in and one way out, pretty much."
She said a car pool she started with a neighbor has made things "a little better."
"Thank God we have that option, but it's still ridiculous," said Kindel. "Tempers are starting to flare, especially in the heat. Gas is so expensive, you can't just sit there and run your AC."
Cunningham said the decision to end busing was directly related to the grim state budget, which hasn't has been approved yet but is expected to hand down hefty cuts to school districts statewide.
"A lot of districts across the state were starting to look at ... what can we cut that won't affect learning in the classroom," he said, recalling the springtime rush to cut expenses that resulted in thousands of layoffs across North County. "We've got a state deficit that we know is going to be handed down to the schools in some form."
He said getting rid of the school buses altogether makes more sense in smaller, more developed districts, where most roads have sidewalks and schools are closer to home.
It was unclear on Wednesday what Bonsall will do next year, and the year after, to help students get to class. Transportation funding from the state is not expected to increase anytime soon, and the district's school bus fleet is aging.
Cunningham said he's just focused on getting through the current school year.
"That is certainly our priority, to get that kind of relief going," he said. "It has gotten a little smoother each day" since the beginning of school last week.
But for parents who see no end to the hourlong commutes and gridlock that many moved out of big cities to avoid, the only solution has been clear from the beginning.
"Bring the buses back," said Kindel. "I don't see any other way."
Contact staff writer Tom Pfingsten at (760) 740-3516 or tpfingsten@nctimes.com.
Advertisement
Bigger Class sizes or buses wrote on Sep 3, 2008 8:26 PM:Personally I would like to see the classroom sizes stay the same and keep the buses cut. Teachers deserve the right to teach the bus drivers can go somewhere else. They are barely educated and have horrible attitudes. Parents stop complaining!
tony wrote on Sep 3, 2008 8:39 PM:"What is it going to take, a parent getting struck down by a vehicle because there is no kind of sidewalk for kids to walk up along the road." I wish that we kept the old school, and save the money for the buses, that's more priority to me as a parent! There's no use for a brand new school if kids can't even get to it on time!
Keith wrote on Sep 3, 2008 9:34 PM:The new school is beautiful, but... It is very unfortunate that the school was designed with such poor traffic circulation. You could bring ALL the buses back tomorrow and the traffic would still be a mess. They need to re-design the intersection of Camino Del Rey and Old River and install a four way traffic signal light. That is the only solution.
Bonsall mom wrote on Sep 4, 2008 7:12 AM:KIds can't learn if they can't get to school. Can we say "I told you so!" now? The pig-headed board had an agenda to get rid of the busses, fueled by Mr. Jones' continued attempts to get rid of that dept. Maybe they can buy newer (but used) busses from other districts that have cut their transportation? The chance to change the board has passed the community by - Mr. Olson and Ms. Tucker were up for re-election and no one ran against them - so they are in for ANOTHER 4 years.
Outta here wrote on Sep 4, 2008 9:22 AM:I am so glad I pulled my kids from the district. At first I was disappointed that my kids would not be going to a brand new school. After hearing that there are more problems I am glad I am out.What matters is what is inside the walls of a school, not how fancy the outside looks! The board and their sheep of followers is what made me leave.
Where do you get off wrote on Sep 4, 2008 9:28 AM:Bigger class sizes or buses to make a comment so stupid as "they are barely educated and have horrible attitudes" referring to the bus drivers! Do you know them personally? You have a lot of nerve making that kind of remark.
Carpool walk jog wrote on Sep 4, 2008 3:26 PM:Back east we needed bus rides to school - 100 days of snow and ice, 40 days of pouring rain, but you still had to walk at least a mile to the bus stop. But here, the weather is always perfect, and kids need exercize. Carpool the little ones or students with mobility disabilities for sure! Middle School kids can walk with a buddy. I do agree 15 miles is ridiculous though. Write letters, send emails, call your legislators instead of complaining amongst yourselves. Air conditioned car? You are fortunate to have a car; many don't. Why can't NCTD set up routes? What a mess.
Where do you get off wrote on Sep 4, 2008 9:42 PM:Bigger class sizes or buses, Who do you think you are? What makes you think that Bus Drivers are barely educated? Could it be that your child had to be disciplined for something and you are one of those parents that thinks their child can do no wrong. Bus Drivers care deeply for the children they drive. THEY DON'T BECOME BUS DRIVERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO, THEY DO IT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO. It takes someone special to become a Bus Driver. My child's Bus Driver has always been a fair and caring person.
Sullivan Middle School Student wrote on Sep 6, 2008 3:05 PM:When i read the blog from Bigger Class Sizes or Buses, i was shocked that there are parents out there that say such cruel things about other adults. Aren't adults suppose to set an example for us? Our Bus Drivers were very caring, always talked to us about what their primary concern was, how they always looked forward to coming back in the fall to drive us again. When we had Bus Evacuations ( yearly ) they always stressed how important it was to always follow the bus rules and how it was for our safety, something they were always concerned about.It was a terrible loss for us,think about the kids that have left our school because their parents don't have a way to get them here. I am asking the District to reconsider bringing back our buses for "THE KIDS "
First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.
Today's Stories
Advertisement
Videos
Advertisement