No Bus Fee Waivers for Redistricted Families

After revisiting the  issue for a handful of families, the newly formed property committee of the  Board of Education has decided against hardship waiver for families who were redistricted last year.

At the center of the issue were two small pockets of families who are just under the state’s two-mile rule that mandates that students get to ride the bus free of charge.

"The committee decided that no waivers are warranted for subscription busing," said Regina Truitt. "...The dialogue never ends, but we hope to provide some closure for this topic." 

Those families who were seeking the waivers were redistricted away from closer schools and say they were promised busing. Now, they say, not only have their children been moved too far to walk, they will have to pay for busing when students just a couple blocks over are far enough away to ride for free.

"I'm very disappointed that you're not grandfathering in the redistricted families," said Stephanie Kresch, who lives in Short Hills and  is part of that group. "It really just amounts to six families."

Kresch told the board two weeks ago: “There are 12 students -- six families -- who are left without busing. It’s really just a few families that have fallen through the cracks.”