Busing hot issue as new school year settles in

Overcrowded and late buses, missed stops, and no bus service at all are among the complaints from parents as the new school year gets underway in Newfoundland and Labrador.

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A provincial rule which denies busing to children living lessthan 1.6 kilometres from their school was a major topic as Education Minister Dale Kirby took calls on CBC Radio's Crosstalkon Wednesday.

MichelleHoffefromLewisportesaidshe lives too close to a school to qualify for busing, buther child is dropped ata babysitter's house within the busing zone at7 a.m.

Last year he was picked up there by the school bus, but this year she was told she will have to wait until October to know if she qualifies for a "courtesy" bus ride.

"My drive to work is an hour," she said."I have no way to get my child ... to and from school."

Hoffe saidher options are to quit work,pay a taxi, or move none ofwhich she iswilling to do.

"I'm dumbfounded, for lack of a better word,as to how this is reasonable."

Kirby encouraged parents like Hoffe to be patient, saying while schools have been asked to speed up busing decisions, it often takes a few weeks to resolve busing issues.

That's not good enough for Conception Bay South parent Alice Taylor who said she lives about 1.4 kilometres from a school, St. Georges Elementary, and got a letter Tuesday saying she was not approved for courtesy busing.

It's a battle Taylor fought last year, and won only to find herself on the other side of the decision this year.

"Two buses passmy road every morning and every evening doing their run, but my children did not get [approved]to get on those buses."

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The CBS parents have started anonline petitionand have posted videos and pictures they say show school buses are operating with empty seats, and children are at risk trying to walk on busy roads.

About70per cent of the province's 66,000students take the bus to school, said Kirby, at a cost of $62.5 million this year. To eliminate the 1.6 kilometre rule would cost another $20 million.

"Where does that come from in the education budget?" he said.

Overcrowding issues, delayed buses

Some parents whose children do get the bus saidthey aren't happy either, because their buses are stogged.

"Imagine threebig boys on one seat. My son has been complaining about falling off his seat since school opened last week," wrote Jill Bennett on the CBC Newfoundland and Labrador Facebook site.

"We are experiencing severe overcrowding as well, largely because budget cuts have forced our school in Lark Harbour to eliminate an entire bus. This is leaving kids stuffed three to a seat with many hanging over the edges of the seats," said MikeRodman.

"Some children are now refusing to ride on the bus because the overcrowding is uncomfortable for them and the ride time has been increased because one bus is now doing the job of two."

Other Crosstalk listeners told of similiar stories at Leary's Brook Junior High in St. John's, and in Gander.

"If it's true that there are four or five students to a seat, or that students are sitting in the aisle, that would be a violation of the Highway Traffic Act," said Kirby, who saidparents shouldcall the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD).

Full day kindergarten

Some of the startup problems have to do with full-day kindergarten.

The NLESDwas informed about three kindergarten students atHazelwoodElementary in St. John's who were not dropped at the right stop on Monday, the first day of busing for that grade.

"Both the district and the school administration have spoken with the bus contractor about this matter to express our deep concern and dissatisfaction, and to ensure the matter is addressed with its bus drivers," wrote the district's media relations officer, KenMorrissey, in anemailresponse to CBC questions.

"The school administration has also spoken with the families involved to express our concern and regret."

The school district said it expects bus drivers to be familiar with their routes at the beginning of the school year.