Pine Bush Superintendent of Business Michael Pacella announced a redesign of the district’s bus routes at a school board meeting on Aug. 20.

“It was a complete redesign of bus routes,” Pacella said.

Pacella said the routes and stops were designed to save time and to put buses at the capacity allowed by state standards. Routes were designed using the transportation software Transfinder and the help of the Arthur F. Mulligan/Birnie Bus Company, which was hired to replace First Student Bus Company last year.

Pacella estimated the district eliminated the use of six buses at a savings of between $550,000 and $600,000, although bus routes were still being designed as of Aug. 21.

Safety was taken into account only at the bus stops, not on the route that students must take to walk to the bus stop. While the bus stops were designed so no children would have to walk along a road with a speed limit of 55 mph, some bus stops were placed along 45 mph roads with no sidewalks.

“If [a stop] is somewhere where we deem that it’s hazardous to have a stop, we’ll move it down,” Pacella said, “but getting to the stop is not a determining factor on whether that bus stop is safe or not.”

Pacella said due to the rural nature of the district, it would be very difficult to design routes that didn’t have children walking along roads with speed limits of 45 mph. The district has few streets with sidewalks and lighting, adding to the district’s decision not to have the safety of the route to the bus stops taken into account.

Board Vice President Cara Robertson took issue with the 55-mph threshold.

“45 is no different than 55,” Robertson said at the Aug. 20 meeting. “Somebody is going to get hit. Doesn’t matter at a child’s age, at 45 or 55. I’m not in agreement.”

It is the responsibility of the parent to transport their child safely to the bus stop, Pacella said.

“Hopefully the parent doesn’t allow their child to get hit,” Pacella said in response to Robertson. “Once they step on the bus, it’s our responsibility.”

Superintendent Tim Mains reminded the board they have the power to amend the transportation policy.

Parents may appeal the school district if they feel their child’s bus stop is unsafe. Visit https://www.pinebushschools.org/parent-community/forms/#transportation-forms.