House of Delegates moves against long bus rides Tuesday (Hur Herald Photo)
By Dianne Weaver
The ongoing debate over long school bus rides in West Virginia has spawned a House-approved attempt to enforce statewide guidelines for younger students.
Delegates voted 95-3 yesterday on the measure, sending it to the Senate.
Thomas Ramey, Coordinator of Challenge WV, said busing bills have failed in the legislature for several years. "This one, if it passes, is a start in trying to slow down a problem that state education officials have steam-rolled over West Virginia parents," he said.
The bill envisions half-hour bus routes one way for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. The bill also recommends 45-minute trips for intermediate and junior high schools, and an hour for high schools.
The state of WV has long ignored its guidelines for how long children should be on buses, with tens of thousands of students over the limits.
The bill would only apply to future routes prompted by new or
consolidated schools or closings.
Counties would need the state's approval for such routes that would last at least 15 minutes longer than the guidelines.
But it would bar waivers for routes exceeding the standard by 30 or more minutes.
Barbara Evans Fleischauer (D) Monongalia told legislators that it is long overdue that the body address long bus ride problems in the Mountain State.
"This legislation is near and dear to our heart, with state officials going way overboard with busing children long distances, including many four and five year olds," she said.
Thousands of WV students are riding buses an hour-and-one half or more one way.
Fleischauer said "Research has shown that such long bus rides are bad, and particularly hurtful to poor children. It is wrong, wrong, wrong!"
Sharon Spencer (D-Kanawha) cited frequent incidence of carrying a four-year-old child from the school bus, asleep after a long ride that exceeds the state's own guidelines.
Spencer said she considered long bus rides abuse.
Jackson County Delegate Mitch Carmichael (R-Jackson) opposed the bus bill, saying it took too much authority away from local school boards - "dictating policy."
Challenge's Ramey responded, saying "Challenge WV has maintained that the state's School Building Authority has used a bloody hammer on county school boards to consolidate hundreds of WV schools and create long bus rides. That's dictating."
"Surely, this bill gives boards a little helping hand," Ramey said.
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