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Show More buses needed! iO rneev rapid growvta "The school's busing system is stretched stret-ched to meet the people s needs, but at this point the band is ready to bust," Building and Transportation Director Ted Taylor told the Uintah School District, last week. Taylor recommended to the board that six buses in their fleet needed to be replaced. Taylor reported that there are 64 bus routes in the district and 52 buses of which 39 are assigned to a route. There are six buses for spare parts and two are reserved for special trips. He added that most of the buses are full, which will be the problem next year when more students come into the district. Vaughn Mott, District Transportation Department, told the school board that part of the problem with crowded busing bus-ing is the large number of courtesy rides. The school district is reimbursed from the state for students they bus in elementary school who live further than 1H miles from their school and in secondary further than two miles. Students living closer than the limit and still riding the bus to school are "courtesy" riders. In the district there are enough courtesy riders to fill five to six buses which has squeezed the current cur-rent buses to their maximum capacity, Mott said. Mott told the board that by allowing courtesy riders, some buses are required re-quired to do two trips, making stu- dents late getting home from school. "Somewhere down the line, you have to say the parents have some responsibility," respon-sibility," Mott told the board. "You've got to make a stand." Board President Elouise Turner said that the reason courtesy riders are allowed is to allow for safety in transporting kids to and from school especially when they have to walk along highways. Mott also recommended that the board quit running buses to the Air Village Hills subdivision because the road doesn't meet state specifications. Board Member Blaine Morrill said that the board needs to find out the effect ef-fect of double sessions and year-round schooling on transportation. He said other schools recommended staggered starting times and area pickups to relieve busing problems. In other business, contractors on the northwest and southeast elementary schools told the board that they wouldn't be able to meet the December deadline for completion of the two schools. Because of the cold weather, contractors contrac-tors have only been able to clear the ground for the schools. The board told the contractors that they have hired Nathan Jones to be the inspector for the board on the two projects. |