Is anyone else having problems with the Chatham County School buses?

Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2009 11:09:43 -0400
From: kaycee

Subject: school bus problems

Is anyone else having problems with the Chatham County School buses?

I live/operate a licensed home daycare for children(27 years) on Piney Grove Ch Rd in Siler City. The Chatham County school bus has always stopped in front of my house to let off/let on children in my daycare or the neighborhood. This year the CC School system has decided it is unsafe for the bus to stop here. They say the children are safer walking up and down Piney Grove to the newly assigned bus stops at Ashton Court and Cedar Springs. If you are unfamiliar with Piney Grove, it is one of the main roads leading into/out of Siler City from hwy 421. There are no sidewalks and the road is narrow.

I have sent repeated requests to the school board/transportation officials/superintendent only to hear, “Thank you for your comments about the Bus Stop on the Piney Grove Church Road.  I have not weighed in on the emails in that I have complete confidence in my staff to manage their areas of responsibility.  The Transportation Director has conducted an on-site inspection of the bus stop on two occasions, the Transportation Information Management System Specialist has calculated stopping distances from your requested stop, as well as all distances of interest from other designated stops, the Assistant Superintendent for Auxiliary Services has reviewed all stops on the road, and this morning, we collectively reviewed the bus stops and your request again.  I am in support of the decision of my Transportation Director.  I understand his concern about continuing the stop at Mrs. Cockman’s drive.  I am convinced the new stops are safer and in the best interest of the children.”  from Mr. Logan this morning. Joel Caviness, transportation says, “The home address of this child is *** Piney Grove Church Road which is about 200 feet from the current bus stop on Piney Grove Church Road and Ashton Court. The address of the day care provider is 787 Piney Grove Church which is located on a blind hill when traffic is approching from the west. This was a concern for us when we established the bus route for this road. We felt that the safest location for the stop would be Aston Court Drive because it is located more toward the bottom of the hill. This would provide oncoming traffic a chance to stop for a bus. We feel that by placing the stop on a blind hill we will be putting the bus and oncoming traffic in a dangerous situation.”
Joel Caviness was here twice. I saw him on one occasion riding up and down the road, not when the bus was present and another occasion he and a lady were parked on the road beside my house watching as the bus stopped and let the two children off beside my house. Which was great and safe. My daycare child came straight to my house and the other child when straight her to grandmothers house.

Joel nor any other school personal have been out here when the bus is picking up or letting off kids, to see the danger they are putting them in when they are left at the newly assigned bus stops. My daycare child has to walk a little more then 1/10 of a mile up the shoulder of Piney Grove Ch Rd, past 4 houses, through neighbors yards to get to my daycare. I have to stand at the end of my driveway in order to see him get off the bus and be able to watch as he walks this dangerous path. The other child is put off at Cedar Springs, ALONE and made to walk down Piney Grove, again on the shoulder of the road to her grandmother’s house, 4 houses down, beside me. These are 2nd and 3rd graders.

I have not placed my daycare child on the bus in the mornings because it is so unsafe. I have been calling friends and family to take him to school, which is a practice I can not continue. I can not see the bus stop, it is dusty dark and I am getting children in my daycare for the day. I am unable to be out at the end of the driveway to watch for his safety. In the afternoon, my husband has been home in order to help me with the daycare or to watch for this child to get off the bus from the end of our driveway.

For the past two years I have placed this child on and off the CC school bus at my driveway, with no problems at all. The safety of this child and others that are being made to travel such unsafe paths around Chatham County is very upsetting to me and I would like some feedback from anyone having similar problems.