schoolsearch: Busing not expected to change much

Busing not expected to change much

During the first year of the choice plan, walks to bus stops might be longer but bus rides won't be.

By SHARON L. BOND, Neighborhood Times Business Editor

During the first year of the choice plan, walks to bus stops might be longer but bus rides won't be.

Bus transportation under the first year of controlled choice might be a lot like this year.

That is the school district's expectation, although transportation officials won't know for sure until parents' choices are in. Based on a survey of parents' preferences, the county thinks change will be minimal.

Terry Palmer, director of transportation for the Pinellas County school system, said the main change under choice will be that some buses will deliver students to two schools rather than one.

"We won't have high school, middle school and elementary school students on the same bus," Palmer said.

Mixing ages is a concern for many parents.

The length of bus rides should be about the same. A maximum of 50 minutes applies to elementary students and no more than an hour for secondary students. As is the case now, no transportation will provided to students who live within 2 miles of school.

Students attending magnet schools will be able to catch a bus after going to a stop on a main artery, Palmer said, the same as this year.

Bus transportation is not provided for students with special attendance permits, but they will be allowed to catch a bus from a stop in the area where their chosen school is if a seat is available.

For the first time next year, busing will be provided for students attending fundamental schools. Palmer said he had asked principals at fundamental schools to find out which parents want transportation.

Walks to bus stops will be longer. But the distances won't come anywhere near the 1.5-mile walk the county could require. Palmer said the optimum walk for an elementary and middle school students should be no more than 0.35 of a mile. Now the maximum is a fifth of a mile for elementary students and a quarter mile for middle school students. High school students will have a maximum walk of 0.45 of a mile, up from 0.27 of a mile.

Because racial ratios will remain in place for the first four years of controlled choice, some busing might be needed to maintain the required percentages, Palmer said.