Schools

Critical Bus Stop, Route Changes Completed, Warren Superintendent Says

Tami Crader thanks parents for school opening 'less smooth than in previous years.'

With Warren schools open a little more than a week, a majority of necessary adjustments to school bus routes and stops have been completed, and the school district will take the time to analyze the transportation process and determine ways to improve in future school years, Schools Superintendent Tami Crader said. 

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Warren Township school district parents for their patience over the last week as we made the necessary corrections to problematic bus stops and/or routes," the superintendent said in an email to parents. "I apologize for the confusion and upset created by an unusually high number of errors."

This year, the school district — which opened township schools on Sept. 9 — has both a new transportation coordinator and a new transportation software program, Crader said in another communication to parents last week.

The school district had been looking to maximize the efficiency and safety of transportation routes, resulting an unusually high number of changes made to bus stops for Warren Township schools' students, Crader said last week.

Parents were asked then —and still are being asked — to report and parents bu stops deemed as unsafe.

The transportation coordinator "has been working day and night to finalize routes and stops," Crader said in an email last Tuesday. "We are hoping to have this resolved by beginning of next week," she said at that time.

"Not surprisingly, the many parents with whom my staff or I spoke were understanding, patient, and helpful," Crader said this week.

She said the overall transportation experience made this year's school opening "far less smooth than in previous years." She said said the district will need to correct the situation for next year."

Crader also added parents should feel free to email or call my office with questions or concerns. Her email is tcrader@warrentboe.org.

Parents with concerns about safety issues had also been asked call the transportation office at 908-753-5300, ext. 6, or email Mrs. Donlay, Transportation Coordinator, at jdonlay@warrentboe.org, Business Administrator Pat Leonardt at pleonhardt@warrentboe.org.

"I wish you a much better second week of transportation and, of course, a wonderful school year," she said in this week's email. 

As mentioned in an email blast to parents last week, Crader said the district re-looks at school routes every year because enrollment shifts.

Find out what's happening in Warrenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We may have to make changes depending on who goes from elementary to middle, new students who move into elementary, and who has graduated to high school," Crader said on Tuesday. "It is more than just numbers; it has to do with the safest, quickest way to transport almost 2000 students." 

The new transportation software program is very user friendly and did a great job maximizing efficiency, Crader said last week. However, she added, the bus stop assignments in many cases were new to parents.

Find out what's happening in Warrenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.




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