After Bumpy Start, Newport Addressing Busing Woes with Tweaks and App for Parents

NEWPORT, RI—Late school buses the first week of classes upset some parents, who say they waited 35 to 40 minutes for the children to arrive home. At Tuesday night's Newport School Committee meeting, board members demanded answers.

School Committee Member David Hanos complained about "considerable delays," especially with younger students. He wondered why the school could not "exit these kids and get them on the bus."

School board member David Carlin reported receiving about 15 calls from irate parents about the bus situation since the start of school.

According to Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain, the problems occurred during the first three days of school and were primarily due to the fact all the buses did not arrive at the Pell Elementary on time for dismissal.

"We need all the buses there on dismissal," she said.

Over the weekend, Jermain met with the district's new bus company, Durham School Services, to fix the problems, she said. As a result of numerous trial runs, she said, the decision was made to change some of the scheduled times. Parents were notified by automated telephone calls.

Parents will soon have access to an app that will help them keep track of the buses and know when a bus is about to arrive.

Gerry Cameron, Durham's area general manager, said the parents will have the Durham Bus Tracker app "once we're sure the routes are all set."

Some parents also complained because the buses had arrived at the morning stop exactly on time or early.

John Rivers, the bus company's general manager, said the drivers will wait "an additional" two minutes at the stops, so the stragglers will not be left behind.

Also Tuesday, the school committee voted 6-0-1 (with Robert Leary abstaining) to accept the new $3.7 million three-year contract with Durham. The cost is about a half a million dollars higher than the previous bus contract, Jermain said. Leary estimated the increase actually came to about $530,000 over the three year life of the contract.

Carlin pressed for details and asked if the prior contract had bid. In response, Jermain said the Durham's proposal was deemed the best. Neil Galvin, the school board's attorney, reviewed the contracts.

"They accepted most of the changes I recommended," he told the school committee, "and I am satisfied it reflects" the Request for Proposals, he said.

Galvin said the company preferred a five-year contract, but the school district wanted only three years. Durham also wanted to be paid within 45 days of billing, due to previous problems in Illinois. Galvin disagreed and successfully argued similar situations would not occur in Rhode Island, due to "the strength of the taxpayer" here. The company also wanted to be indemnified in the event of changing legal requirements, such as passage of a law requiring seat belts on school buses. They dropped that request, too, Galvin said.

"Do you have the same number of vehicles and backup the previous provider [had?]" Carlin asked Rivers.

"We have enough buses and four backup buses," Rivers said. "The issue was more running the routes, not mechanical problems."

Carlin also asked if Durham has hired sufficient drivers.

"We are still hiring," he said, but the current number of drivers is enough.

Asked if the problems could recur, Rivers said, "there are no guarantees." He described the app as a aid, which uses global navigation satellite system technology to locate buses in real time.