Boardman schools consolidate bus stops amid driver shortage, transportation eliminated for those within 1 mile

The Boardman Local School District is changing how students get to and from school this year, citing a shortage of bus drivers.

The district said it is down 20 drivers, falling from more than 50 to 30.

Many routes will move away from door-to-door service to keep buses on time and shorten ride lengths.

Some students will walk a short distance to new group pickup spots, and about 110 seventh through 12th-graders within a 1-mile radius of the school will walk unless they get a ride from a parent or guardian.

“By state guidelines, they allow us two miles. We’re going out a little bit under a mile at the high school,” Boardman Superintendent Chris Neifer said.

Parent Dana Winters said her children’s stop will shift only a few houses away, but she worries about the change for other families, especially those who cannot drive their children to school because of work schedules, or during winter weather.

“I understand back in the day I used to walk from my elementary and my middle school, but now there are a lot of distracted drivers and distracted kids walking," Winters said, "They’re not paying attention to things." 

Winters said while it's an adjustment, she is not against the change but wants people in the community to be aware that more students will be walking. 

"We all just want to make sure that they're safe and taken care of," she added. 

Neifer said the move follows similar changes at other Ohio districts and is intended to improve reliability.

“We want the consistent expectation for parents to know when your kids are getting picked up, when your kids are going to be home, when they’re going to arrive at school," he said, "and that we’re doing it in a very safe environment."

The district said it has planned the change for two years and said they are reminding students and parents about safety protocals to keep in mind and reiterates that students will not be crossing main roads under Ohio law. 

"If you are one of those walkers, make sure that you are walking against traffic," he said, "Make sure you're keeping one of your earbuds out so you can pay attention to your surroundings and know what's going on. Suggest things like reflective tape and those types of things to be visible and be aware of what's going on."

Families with specific safety concerns are encouraged to call their school.