Private School Bus Routes Are Being Shortened in WSD

More school buses will be on the road starting Friday to shorten ride times for private school students living in Wissahickon School District (WSD). 

Students on four of the most troubled routes will start new routes Friday, and six other routes will begin by next Wednesday, said WSD business administrator Wade Coleman.

To cut costs, WSD and four other school districts joined the Montgomery County Transportation Consortium (MCTC).  There are 3,400 students bused through the MCTC; 1,600 students are in WSD.

Since the beginning of the school year, MCTC “ride times” are making students late for school and supper, as previously reported by Patch.

Parents complained during the WSD school board meeting Monday that their children were arriving an hour or more late for school. Some elementary school children were returning home after 6 p.m. because of the routes created by Management Partnership Services (MPS), a consultant for MCTC.

Coleman said, “Many parents who had questions are getting their children’s routes updated.” 

Coleman said that adding five extra buses to the MCTC allows for routes to be reworked, starting with the most troubled ones. 

He said route changes begin Friday for the following schools:

• Chestnut Hill Academy
• Springside School
• Ancillae Assumpta Academy
• Perelman Day School

Next week, more buses will be added, but not necessarily for every school, said Coleman.

“Early next week,” Coleman said routes will be updated for:

• St. Alphonsus Catholic School
• The Montessori School
• Open Door Christian Academy

“Hopefully, by Tuesday or Wednesday,” Coleman said, “bus routes will change” for:

• LaSalle High School
• The Mount
• Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy

“Over the weekend, we will look at other runs to make improvements, while rerouting them,” said Coleman.