Parents and students in a school district south of Boston were warned last week that they would be without school bus service due to a lack of financing and a scarcity of buses.
According to the Boston Herald, the 150 children at Stoughton Public Schools will need to find a new route to get to school before the academic year begins on September 4. The announcement comes at the same time as the state has begun paying for buses for the migrant students of the more than 200 migrant families that have lately moved into the area.
“Unfortunately, for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, 150 secondary students who signed up to ride a bus were not able to be placed on a bus,” stated Superintendent of Schools Joseph Baeta in a letter to parents. “Families who did not receive bus service were notified this week. Those who receive bus transportation will receive their postcards during the week of August 19.
“We understand the feelings of disappointment and frustration this caused for the families who did not receive bus transportation,” according to the letter. “We feel it is important to explain this situation to all of our families to allow you to better understand how we arrived at this point.”
The letter stated that over 160 more pupils applied for bus transportation this year than the previous year. Due to budget constraints, the district operates one fewer bus than the previous year. The superintendent also stated that bus drivers are scarce.
The state of Massachusetts does not require transportation for kids in grades 7-12, but the district is required to provide busing to students who live in hotels or shelters, according to the letter. However, according to the superintendent, the entrance of migrant families in Stoughton is not the cause of the bus shortage.
“We are utilizing funding the state provides to the district to bus the students living in hotels/shelters,” according to the letter. “The funds for these two buses are not from our operating budget. It is incorrect to claim that these children receiving busing are the reason yours did not. If we did not get state funds for kids staying in hotels/shelters, we would not be able to provide these two additional buses.
The district stated that schools could not do much to supply additional busing, but it did announce a virtual forum on Monday night where families could express their concerns or ask questions.
In a March letter, the Stoughton Superintendent acknowledged that the increased number of migrants was contributing to “financial pressures.”
“The district is seeing an increase in PreK-12 enrollment, including in our migrant student population, and unprecedented pressures in special education, transportation, and services for English Learners,” the governor wrote. “Our main priorities have been retaining teaching staff and supporting the large influx of students we received this year, including providing the English Learner services they require.”
“To accommodate this increase in our student population, we have had to make adjustments throughout the budget,” she said. “The situation remains fluid as we get more information and advocate for additional funding from the state.”
Some parents rushed to Facebook to voice their dismay over the news.
“So, how will 150 Stoughton students get to school now? “We just found out yesterday that our son, along with 149 other students, lost their seats on the bus… talk about Stoughton Pride,” one parent stated. “They didn’t even provide an alternate option, such as paying for a ride, which we would do because we would otherwise have NO means of transporting our son to school. This town disgusts me. So my child has to walk 3 miles to and from school on Route 138?! We dwell primarily in North Easton. What are these families supposed to do!? Unbelievable.”
“Stoughton, MA cut bus service for students just last week,” another parent stated. “They’re telling parents to organize transportation. The town has 237 migrant families, and they are all promised bus transportation. As a result, bus service changes for students will solely affect legal Stoughton residents. Schools requested a 7.1% increase in funding for this year and received it. Migrants are generating financial strain, according to the town manager. Two buses will be reserved exclusively for migrants.
When asked for comment, Stoughton Public Schools referred Fox News Digital to a statement given to families.
Stoughton Town Manager Thomas Calter submitted a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey in February, stating that at least 237 migrant families have come into their city, which is having a “adverse impact” on the budget, economic development, and community safety.
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