Statement From Superintendent Dr. John Fredericksen On Student Transportation Discussions

The Center for Conflict Resolution at Salisbury University hosted a meeting at on Tuesday, Aug. 24 with representatives of the Transportation Advisory Group for Wicomico County Public Schools. The meeting was scheduled at the request of the Wicomico County School Bus Contractors Association, which asked the Board of Education on Aug. 10 for an opportunity to meet and discuss concerns about student transportation.

Those invited to participate in the discussion on student transportation issues included staff members (superintendent, assistant superintendent for administrative services and Transportation staff), 10 school bus contractors (five selected by the Wicomico County School Bus Contractors Association, five selected by the Transportation Office), two members of the Wicomico County Board of Education, and Wicomico County Council President Gail Bartkovich.

While eight of the 10 school bus contractors committed on Monday to attend the meeting, on Tuesday morning the contractors who had committed said they would not attend on advice of the attorney for the Wicomico County School Bus Contractors Association. One contractor did attend the meeting. The other invitees who had committed to attend were present for the meeting, working toward a speedy resolution to issues about student transportation.

Good progress was made at the meeting, with all parties listening to concerns and discussing new ideas. A second meeting will be held on Thursday, Aug. 26, with the Center for Conflict Resolution again hosting the discussion.

The school system is working to ensure that safe, efficient and effective, and on time transportation for students will be affected as little as possible by the decisions of contractors not to take extra trips. While transportation to and from school is required under the contract, almost all school bus contractors have been declining extra trips for after-school activities and field trips. The school system currently has 80 trips available between now and Sept. 30.

The school system’s No. 1 goal is to ensure that no student is denied the opportunity to participate in a school-related activity due to transportation issues. Every student who has practiced and prepared for an activity, whether it be athletics or band or some other area, should have the opportunity to participate. For some students, a pre-season scrimmage may be their only chance to shine.

So far, several away scrimmages have been changed to home scrimmages to eliminate the need for transportation, but some other scrimmages have been canceled, costing 60 or more students to miss an opportunity to participate.

Private coach buses or out-of-county school buses have also been hired as needed, at greater cost. A handful of Wicomico County bus contractors have accepted trips, too.

Trips for extracurricular activities and field trips are paid for in a variety of ways: from the school system budget, by families, and sometimes by the school system and families.A limited amount of money is available for student transportation, so in the end the higher cost of trips now could mean fewer trips and/or higher cost to families during this school year.