Wednesday morning, it will be evident that the first day of school has arrived in Bridgewater and Raritan. The more than abundant evidence will be all of those yellow buses and vans on our streets.
In the B-R school district, dozens of those vehicles will be making hundreds of stops throughout both municipalities, picking up thousands of school children. There will, of course, be some walkers, but most students will be bused.
Probably the biggest exception to the busing rule will be at the high school, where driving privileges are extended annually to some of the students, allowing them to drive their own cars to school.
The task of assigning individual students to specific seating in a vehicle is a not-so-well- appreciated job which begins as soon as the school year ends in June and continues throughout the summer, right up to the Labor Day weekend.
The transportation group assigned to this task is located in tight quarters in an outdated office on Commons Way, across from the new Bridgewater Municipal Complex. Building & grounds supervision, the maintenance garage, and a parking lot for buses and vans, are also situated there.
Opening day at school can be smooth or bumpy for the transportation team, including the bus drivers. Some years, the phone can ring off the hook with complaints, while in other years school opening can be relatively smooth. It all depends . . . !
Considering the geographic size of the B-R School District and its large number of students, the percentage of calls is usually relatively small, although the stress associated with each may not make it feel that way.
If you are a parent and happen to experience an issue with your child’s busing, take a deep breath and compose yourself before calling transportation. Above all, try courtesy instead of outrage. You’ll be surprised how quickly it can get your problem resolved.
Good luck to all other school districts. Thanks for reading; stay engaged.
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