Parents and trustees press district on late afternoon bus pickups after first week of school

Parents and trustees raised concerns about afternoon bus delays during the meeting of the Carmel Central School District Board on Sept. 8, citing examples of children arriving home an hour or more late.

A parent who identified herself during public comment said her grandson "got dropped off at 04:30 this evening" despite a 3:15 p.m. dismissal, calling the delays "total chaos." The board directed families with specific concerns to the transportation department and provided a contact number: 225-3200.

Board members described the delays as typical during the opening days of a new schedule and early-week disruptions. Trustee Jesse Magliano urged patience as the district and its new director of transportation fine-tune routes, noting "sometimes when one piece of that puzzle is off, it can throw other pieces of that puzzle off." Superintendent Michael Plotkin said the district is monitoring routes and working with principals to ensure buses depart when students are loaded.

Trustees suggested software that lets parents track buses in real time as a possible long-term solution. "There is software available where parents are able to go on and see... estimated time of arrival," a trustee said, recommending the district explore that option.

The board asked parents with unresolved problems to contact transportation directly; trustees said they would follow up in future board reports with route data and any proposed changes.