This year we started running only one bus on the before and after school routes. This came about for three reasons- 1) there were less than 10 students riding the second bus in the morning, 2) the students on the bus were misbehaving, and 3) we only have one custodian with a bus driver license which resulted in bringing in someone to drive and paying them more than the normal rate because of the inconvenience.
To help with student behavior on the bus, a paraprofessional rides the bus on morning and after-school routes. Bruce tells me that student behavior has improved tremendously. This is good, because we want the driver's attention focused on the road, not on the students.
We have been monitoring the number of students on the bus and there is typically 45-48 students riding. The bus capacity is 59, but more than 50 students makes it feel crowded. The Wednesday after-school route is the only concern right now. That went over 50 one day (there are no junior high practices after school on Wednesdays).
There has been some concern raised that the students may not have enough time to eat breakfast. The bus is supposed to leave Rosalie at 7:45 a.m. and arrive in Bancroft by 7:55 a.m. If Bruce has to wait for late-comers in the morning, then the bus has been late leaving Rosalie and some students are rushed to finish eating. We are hoping that students can arrive on time so that this is not a problem. If the train outside of Rosalie is the cause for late arrivals, we will allow the students to be a few minutes late to their classrooms, as long as they don't abuse this. Elementary reading starts at 8:20 a.m. for grades 4-6, and 8:30 a.m. for grades K-3.
If the number of students riding results in crowded conditions or puts us over capacity, we will make plans to run two buses again. It may only be needed on Wednesdays after school. We will continue to monitor the situation and make changes when necessary.
