Galloway Board of Education Discusses Busing Situation in Wake of Two Accidents

For the second time in two months, the discussed its busing situation during its meeting Monday night at the

This discussion came on the heels of two accidents in one week, one involving which saw go to the hospital with minor injuries and the other involving and a teacher from the same school.

Yet the discussion seemed to go in the same direction it did when the board discussed increases in costs related to being part of the consortium in

“We need to start looking around at other bus companies,” Board Member Beverly Evensen said. “This is a wakeup call. We need to do a cost comparison and get the safety records from other companies.”

“If we were on our own, we’d have half a dozen companies that are big enough to handle Galloway,” Board Member Bob Iannacone said. “I don’t think the consortium is doing us any good.”

According to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Annette Giaquinto, the school district has already agreed to renew its contract with Integrity Transportation for next year.

Student Representative Elizabeth Douglas, an eighth grade student and Secretary of School Spirit for the middle school, provided some insight as to what happens on a crowded school bus.

“Buses are hectic,” Douglas said. “People are throwing objects on the bus, out the windows, and if the driver doesn’t take action, it just progresses. I saw one kid shoot a soda can rocket that came close to hitting the bus driver in the head. You have to take action now.

“The bus driver will tell us to sit down, and we stand right back up. Can’t we put cameras on all the buses?”

Business Administrator Tim Kelley said cameras can’t be put on all the buses for financial reasons.

“On buses where we do have cameras, things get jostled around, and cameras can get broken,” Kelley said. “We’re doing the best we can. We’ve identified the problem routes, and we’ve put cameras on those buses.”

It was also noted that although it’s mandatory for children to wear their seatbelts on the bus, the driver isn’t legally allowed to buckle them in.

“We do need to get drivers to report when the rules aren’t being followed,” Giaquinto said.

Board Vice President George Schwenger commented that he didn’t want to see situations in which drivers were getting into confrontations with the children.

Iannacone also said the parents have to share in the blame for the way children behave on the bus.

“We’re blaming everyone but whose responsible,” Iannacone said. “These kids’ parents need to be more responsible.”

“It’s not something just one side can handle,” Giaquinto said.

Finding a new bus company might not be easy, and it might not be the final solution, but it’s something Board President Ernest Huggard wants the board to examine quickly.

“We need to get moving on this,” Huggard said. “We don’t want to be in the same position 12 months from now.”