Greencastle-Antrim bus policy changed

A policy change will affect how parents and guardians can request transportation changes for students in the Greencastle-Antrim School District. School officials say the move will improve safety.

Approved by the school board Aug. 1, the amendment sets in place a policy to make bus stops consistent each week and provides a new system for a temporary bus change.

The new policy states, “Students may have a different address for their morning and afternoon bus stops as long as the pick-up and drop-off sites are consistent each week....This schedule must stay consistent for the sake of the student’s safety. The district will honor schedules for custody agreements, which may affect a child’s bus schedule.”

For a temporary bus change, previously the parent or guardian could make a request on the same day. The change provides for more notice, as follows: “If the need arises to change a child’s bus assignment for a period of time due to a temporary change in childcare or a work schedule, the parent or guardian may request a bus assignment change by completing and submitting a “Temporary Bus Change Form” to the transportation director. The form will be approved or denied within 48 hours.”

The policy change further states that in an emergency, a phone call request to the school may be made.

Travis Blubaugh, director of transportation, told the board he looked at what other districts do in coming up with the new policy.

“This will tighten up the policy and make it safer for the students,” he said.

Dr. C. Greg Hoover, superintendent, said the district had become a “taxi service” under the previous policy. “It becomes a safety issue. We were a little too accommodating.”