Bus routes on new website

Question: I like the new website, however some things are hard to find. Is there

a way to find the bus routes for this year?

Answer: I'm glad you like the new website, but I'm sorry you're having trouble finding some things. Please feel free to call me at 954-2642 or email me at demarsb@bpcsd.org and I will be happy to help you find what you're looking for.

Regarding your specific question about bus routes, when we receive them from the transportation department, we will post them as a news item and add them to the transportation page (under "Services").

- answered by Betsy DeMars, communications specialist and webmaster

Bus transportation for after-school activities

Question: If we want to encourage our children to attend and participate in after-school activities and clubs at the middle school, why are they unable to ride the bus home with the students from TLC and the intermediate school? Since the buses are already out on a scheduled run, it shouldn't cost the district any extra money to provide the transportation. As we know, many parents work and are unavailable to pick their children up from these worthwhile activities. Research has shown that keeping students active after school is essential to encouraging positive choices and preventing opportunities to get into "trouble." The kids whose parents can't pick them up are the ones that need to be there the most, because they are the ones that are most likely going home to an empty house. It seems sad that many students may be missing out on these opportunities due to "logistics." This is an area that is definitely worth considering making a change.

Answer: I agree with you 100 percent on all counts. Yes, extracurricular activities are important for all students, especially students in the middle school. The benefits of participating in extracurriculars are well-documented. However, the reality is that providing transportation for students who participate in after-school activities is an added cost, and unfortunately in this era of belt-tightening, it's a cost we've decided to cut.

Will there be changes to the bus routes for the 2011-12 school year?

Question: Are there any plans to make any revisions to the bus routes for the 2011-12 school year? If so, when would those changes be made available?

Answer: Yes, there are plans to make revisions to the bus routes for the 2011-12 school year. These changes are typically available in early or mid-August. Bus routes are available on the district website, http://www.bpcsd.org/.
-answered by Stephen Tomlinson, District Superintendent

Backtracking buses

Question: I live on McQueen Road. Some days the school bus goes one way on McQueen Road and then comes back after a few minutes. This must be a waste of fuel. I was told that the buses were not to backtrack. So, why do they?

Answer: Bus routes, in general, are very complex. We redesigned them this year to minimize overlapping and backtracking, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. There are several reasons why this bus is backtracking: There may be safety concerns, a student with special needs on that route, etc. If you'd like a specific reason, you should call the transportation office at 954-2570.
- answered by Stephen Tomlinson, Superintendent

Concerns about cold-weather busing

Question: I think its wonderful that the school is trying hard to stretch a dollar, but I have concerns about the new bus policy for in-town kids. What happens in bitterly cold winter weather when the children are left standing a half a block away from their homes waiting on the bus to pick them up? There are no shelters in place and in previous years I would allow my little ones (primary school age) to sit in the house while I watched for the bus. On some days buses can run upwards of 20-30 minutes late. I feel that this amount of time is way too long for kids to be left unprotected in the harsh winter elements. Being an easy-going person I am rolling with the change, but am also concerned about the increased personal vehicle traffic to the schools on bitter cold days -- after speaking with my neighbors, we all decided we would rather take our children to school on those days than allow them to sit outside when conditions aren't suitable.
What plans does the school have to remedy the situation?

Answer: I understand your dilemma. However, the Board of Education felt that its decision to eliminate door-to-door pick-up in the village was a healthy compromise between raising taxes and eliminating all pick-up within two miles of the district -- they were being responsive to district taxpayers.

Where's the bus schedule?

Question: Here it is one day before school starts and no one knows what time to have the kids out for the bus.

Answer: We sincerely apologize for the delay in publishing the 2010-11 bus routes. Typically, the routes change very little from year to year. That was the case this year, except for routes in the Village of Broadalbin, where door-to-door pick-up was eliminated and bus stops established.

Be sure to check the transportation page on the district website frequently since, as students enter or leave the district, bus routes might change.
- answered by Marco Zumbolo, School Business Administrator

Bus routes for 2010-11 school year

Question: I was wondering when the new bus routes for the 2010-11 school year would be posted. The 09-10 bus routes are still up on the website.

Answer: We'll have them posted as soon as we can. We're making a lot of changes, so it's taking longer to finalize the routes than it has in previous years. As soon as the routes are finalized, they'll be sent to the district webmaster for placement on the website. Sorry for the delay - we appreciate your patience!
- answered by Marco Zumbolo, School Business Administrator