Lakewood School Bus Probe Finds Food Deliveries: Prosecutor

LAKEWOOD, NJ — A lengthy investigation into reports that school buses were picking up children and taking them to Lakewood schools has found the buses have been delivering food to children, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Tuesday.

Billhimer said the prosecutor's office along with Lakewood police and Toms River police received multiple reports from residents alleging children were being picked up and/or dropped off by various school buses in northern Ocean County.

Authorities stopped buses on several occasions, according to the prosecutor's office and Lakewood school board attorney Michael Inzelbuch, but found the buses were in fact delivering food as part of the federal free and reduced-cost lunch program.

Don't miss local and New Jersey announcements about coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

The program provides meals to children while school is in session, and ensuring that the meals were provided while students were learning at home was one of the priorities when Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the closure of all schools across New Jersey as of March 18 as part of measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus. There are more than 44,000 cases across New Jersey as of April 7, and 1,232 people have died. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Billhimer said the investigation found that about 85 buses from four different bus companies — Jay’s Bus Service, Masoras Avos Bus Service, Semon Tov Bus Service and Harnett Bus Service — were being used to deliver food the student meals to homes in Lakewood, Toms River, Brick and Jackson.

"Some drivers of these buses were accompanied by children who were helping make these deliveries," Billhimer said.

"To avoid further confusion, we have encouraged that any school buses being utilized for food distribution be adorned with proper signage indicating as much," Billhimer said. "We likewise advise that children not participate in these food deliveries."

Surveillance videos published by The Lakewood Scoop showed a bus with a driver, aide and two children making food deliveries in the North Dover section of Toms River on March 30. Inzelbuch has provided additional videos to Patch and other media outlets of other instances where buses were pulled over. In each case, paper grocery bags can been seen on bus seats and the aide reaches in to the bags to retrieve prepackaged meals.

The buses carrying food have signs attached to them to make it clear they are part of the food delivery, Inzelbuch has said. Two of the signs can be seen below.

Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Lakewood Patch on Facebook.