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The Haverhill School Department is appealing to parents of pre-kindergarten, elementary and middle school students to urge their children to use their bus passes when getting on and off city school buses so their whereabouts can be tracked.
The voluntary bus pass system began three years ago for all but high school students as a safety measure. However, the system’s new transportation guru, Chief Financial Officer Clancy D. Main, told the Haverhill School Committee Thursday, last year’s bus swipe compliance was low. He said he hopes by making the passes available by the first day of school for first grade through senior year Wednesday, Sept. 2, students will form better habits.
“Unfortunately it happens. A kid doesn’t tell their parents they’re going over to a friend’s house. The mom or dad or the guardian, they call frantically saying, ‘Where is my child. He didn’t get dropped off.’ Then it’s all hands on deck at central office. We’re trying to locate that kid but if we just had those kids swiping their bus passes, we would know what bus they got on and what bus they got off,” Main said.
Parents can pick up their child’s bus pass during open houses the district is hosting at most schools Tuesday, Sept. 1, Main said. The district issues the so-called ZPass Rider cards with a lanyard so students can wear them around their necks. Some students chose to clip them to their backpacks. The number on the card differs from a student’s school ID card but the systems are linked. The ZPass cards can also be used to pay for meals and snacks in the cafeteria as it includes a bar code linked to students’ meals account.
On a question from at-large member Penelope Guerrero, Main said there is no clear mechanism for enforcing the bus swiping program. Instead, he has spoken with the principals, parents and students to urge voluntary compliance. Students are not denied access to the bus if they forget their pass.
Main, who took over transportation logistics from Dianne Connelly after she retired in June, said he began route planning two weeks earlier than in past years hoping bus drivers will be better prepared on day one. Still, he said, while drivers have been out on practice runs, and routes have been tweaked and amended, he anticipates issues during the first two weeks of the new school year. He noted the district moves nearly 5,000 students to and from school daily.
“Those first couple days are going to be bumpy. People want to see their kids off, trying to figure out the morning routine, all of those things. So, we’ll smooth it out after the first three or four days. But then, Moody starts and then that’s going to slow down the routes again. So, it going to take us about two weeks to sort of get everything situated and settled out,” Main predicted.
PreK and kindergarten students begin school Wednesday, Sept. 9
Main said routes were published and are available online at Haverhill-PS.org. He added, parents with transportation-related questions should call the transportation department directly at 978-420-1921 for fastest service.
In related business, Main said he was able to successfully negotiate a one-year extension on each of the two transportation contracts the district has with NRT Bus. Instead of an elevator clause for fuel increases, the company agreed to a 2.5% across-the-board increase.
He also said the school system is still looking for part time crossing guards. Those interested may apply at Haverhill-PS.org. Positions pays $17 an hour.