South Jersey school district reduces number of students eligible for free bus services

DEPTFORD TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WPVI) -- UPDATE: NJ school district rescinds controversial bus service plan after outrage from parents

The Deptford Township School District stunned parents over the weekend after announcing it would reduce the number of students who are eligible for free bus services.

Officials said they're also reducing the number of bus stops used for pick-ups and drop-offs.

Kevin Kanauss shared the changes in a letter sent out to parents Friday afternoon. It detailed the district's plan to eliminate free bus service for students who live within a certain distance from the school they attend.

That means elementary and middle school students who live less than two miles from their school will no longer get the free service; neither will high school students who live less than two and a half miles away from their school.

The district will also offer fewer bus stops for pick-up and drop-off.

Kanauss defended the decision, writing, "The decision to cut back on bus stops was not made lightly. After extensive analysis, it became clear that reducing the number of stops would significantly contribute to the overall efficiency and sustainability of our transportation services."

He added that the changes would save the district roughly $1.65 million annually as it relies more on its fleet of bus drivers and less on contracts with outside bus vendors.

Kanauss said the savings will allow the district to reallocate that money to support "much-needed areas."

He said that includes security and renovations at schools, maintaining and increasing teaching staff, academic programs, classroom resources, and student support services.

The news hasn't sat well with parents and residents of Deptford Township, who said they felt blindsided by the news less than a month before the new academic year is set to begin.

Morgan Bugger, who has two kids who attend schools in the district, said she was scrambling to figure out how she would drop her kids off at two schools on opposite ends of town and make it to work on time.

"The morning is going to be busy," Bugger said. "We're going to have to go to one of the schools, that's east of my house, and then make it all the way to the other side, west, to make it to another school."

On top of that, Bugger said safety was a huge concern. She said walking to school was just not an option for her young kids due to the lack of protection for pedestrians on the routes they would need to walk.

"There are not ample sidewalks or crosswalks for the kids," she said. "With the crosswalks, there's no crossing guards. How is their safety guaranteed?"

Micheal Anthony expressed similar concerns about the road that leads to the Deptford Township High School.

"They would have to walk down that road, Fox Run Road, and then there's no pedestrian walk anywhere," Anthony said. "There's no bike lane, not even a bike lane. It's not safe at all."

Kanauss said the district would offer a bus subscription for $365 per student annually for parents who want their children to continue to be bussed to school.

He said that was about half the cost of what the district currently pays to offer free bus service to each child it transports.

"For my household that's hundreds of dollars," Bugger said. "Not many families can pay that."

Additionally, the superintendent said the district would work with local authorities to monitor walking routes and ensure students' safety.

Anthony said he would feel the slightest sense of relief if there were crossing guards along the routes that children would have to walk on to get to school.

However, he questioned if the money the district would save was worth putting students' safety at risk.

"Is it worth having kid's lives in jeopardy having to walk to school?" he questioned.

The Deptford Township School District will give a public presentation regarding the changes at the next board of education meeting scheduled for August 20.