Millburn School Busing Reboots After ‘Busmageddon’

MILLBURN, NJ — Last year was tricky for school busing in the Millburn Public School District. But with the return of a former bus driver to the district – this time as its new transportation director – the Millburn school community will get a strong head start in the coming months, administrators say.

In a Friday email to parents and guardians, Superintendent Christine Burton gave a warm welcome to new Transportation Director Tom Lauton, a former driver and office staffer in the district.

Lauton has been working at his new job in the district since June alongside the district’s Interim Director Sandy Hanson. Together, the pair are helping Millburn to get a “strong head start for the coming year,” Burton said.

Lauton’s predecessor, Glenna Ramsey, resigned earlier this year following a third-party investigation into a series of busing issues that some locals dubbed “Busmageddon.”

Last September, Burton said that the district’s school busing was a "colossal failure" after the school year kicked off with a series of bus-related transportation woes including reports of kids being dropped off at the wrong locations, in-town trips that took hours and drop-offs to locations without waiting adults.

“The major problems were the result of new bus routes that were improperly designed, making them too long, inefficient and in some cases with unsafe stops,” Burton previously said of the busing problems.

• See related article: Millburn Busing Routes Are 'Colossal Failure,' School Superintendent Says
• See related article: Millburn Superintendent On School Busing Issues: 'Please Bear With Us'

One of Lauton’s first - and most imposing - challenges is tackling the district’s “Transportation Action Plan” for 2018-19.

Last week, Burton told parents that Lauton has been updating the Board of Education Transportation Committee on what the district can expect next school year when it comes to busing. Some updates include:

• “Mr. Lauton has met with our bus companies and is having ongoing discussions with them regarding planning for the beginning of the school year.”
• “They have a timeline in place for getting routes to the drivers, having them do dry runs, and informing us of any changes by the first week in August, when routes will be finalized.”
• “[Lauton] has learned that the bus companies have increased their pay rates, which should increase the number of available drivers.”
• “They have agreed upon improved communications between the bus companies and the transportation department, including support for the contractor drivers who need help with directions or routing.”
• “Bus passes will be sent out to parents around August 17.”

Buton said that the district will have further updates on our transportation preparations in the coming weeks. Any questions or concerns about transportation can be directed to Lauton at Thomas.lauton@millburn.org

Last year’s busing issues were similar to a rocky start in 2011. That year, former Superintendent James Chrisfield apologized to the school community after the district saw first-day-of-school “hiccoughs” that included a broken-down bus, children being picked up late, being dropped off late to school coming home and missed stops.

• See related article: Millburn Schools Apologize for Busing Problems

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