Bedford City School Board hears transportation update as parents press for crossing guards and bus routes

Transportation became the central focus of the meeting after several parents raised safety concerns about students walking to school and losing bus service. At the start of the presentation, Stephanie Taber, the district’s transportation supervisor, said, “Our level of service has changed due to multiple reasons,” and listed finances, manpower and the cost of transporting students who attend nonpublic schools as principal drivers of recent route changes.

Danielle Henderson, the transportation specialist, described a new parent-facing bus-tracking system. “We have a new app that the parent will be able to follow the bus and see where the bus is,” Henderson said, adding the district is still testing it before a districtwide rollout. Staff said the system will let parents see an arrival estimate so students can time when to go outside to meet the bus.

Taber and Henderson told the board they are actively recruiting drivers and volunteers, and described the training pipeline for new drivers: an online application, a week-long preservice class, background checks, obtaining commercial driver licenses with school-bus endorsements, and time riding with an onboard instructor before driving routes independently. Taber said training time is paid and that some parents who called in have applied to help as aides.

Board members and staff repeatedly returned to the high cost of transporting nonpublic and charter students. The transcript cites large dollar figures in the presentation (figures are inconsistent in the record; see clarifying details), and Dr. Johnson noted that the district currently buses “above state minimums,” a fact the board said complicates any decision to reduce service or reallocate resources.

Members also discussed using district vans to cover short routes as a partial workaround; board members cautioned that changing policy or routing could trigger additional state requirements or change the district’s obligations to transport students to other schools. The board said private contractors have raised prices, and that the district has explored less-costly van options for short routes.

Parents who testified asked the board to post clear links to transportation policies and route maps on the district website. The board acknowledged the website is being updated and pledged to add policy links on the transportation page when ready and to make staff contact information available for unresolved questions.

The meeting closed the transportation segment with staff recommending that parents who still have outstanding questions contact Taber or Henderson directly; the board said it will keep following up with city officials about crossing-guard coverage at specific intersections.