Parents, employees 'frustrated' with Ridgway Area SD decision to cut bus route

ELK COUNTY, Pa (WJAC) — Parents and employees of a local bus company showed up Tuesday evening to the Ridgway Area School board meeting to air their frustrations over changes to bus routes in the district.

Citing a budget shortfall of more than $600,000, the district says it decided to cut one bus route.

They say no student is losing bus coverage but the dropping of one route has led them to make changes in other routes, which has led to a later arrival time to pick up some students when school was over.

Officials say the changes were in the middle and high school routes but have since realized a trickle-down effect to an elementary route.

The district says they are looking into hiring a third-party vendor to conduct transportation analysis.

Some raised concerns, considering the district is looking to save money to combat the deficit it's facing, but the board president says the third-party vendor will help the district make decisions that will ultimately save them money.

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