APS: Too Many Appeals to Handle Before School Starts

Clarification Sept. 1, 1:05p.m.: It was unclear from the phone call if the message went to all phones on the alerts list or just to the people whose appeals are incomplete.

The Arlington Public Schools department of transportation sent out a robo-call just a few minutes ago telling parents that appeals of the newly-enforced busing plan will not be finished by the start of school Tuesday.

“Due to the number of appeals we have received, we regret that we will be unable to complete our review and provide you with a decision before the start of school," said the voice of the APS mass phone call.

That quote is a nice summary of the phone call. The voice also said the APS transportation department will continue to work on the appeals.

The appeals are necessary as many students, and their parents, found out mid-August that some children would be walking to school this year, no longer riding a school bus, as they had in previous years.

The newly-enforced rules (APS says they are just enforcing long-standing policy, not creating new policy), mean that students who live within a 1 mile radius of their elementary schools must walk. Middle and high schoolers walk if they live within a 1.5 mile radius. Children who are allowed to ride a bus were issued bus passes.

For some students that means crossing large roads during morning rush hours. This has parents upset, and many have appealed. The Washington Post reported the number yesterday as about 200.

To be fair, the appeals process form says it will take three weeks and, earlier, school officials said they would not have the process done by the start of classes.

"It’s not the distance, it’s the safety issue. It has nothing to do with the distance," said Cathy Constantine, a parent who delivered appeals forms to Kenmore Middle School on Aug. 21. Children from Arlington Forest, where she lives, on the north side of Arlington Blvd. will have to cross the boulevard and Carlin Springs Road.

Like many parents, Constantine is looking to have her eighth-grader walk with other children and is looking at carpooling and Metro bussing for alternate transportation.

But the fight for her is not over.

“We’re the ones who are going to fight to try to get our kids’ back on the buses," she said.

Mercury coverage of Arlington Public Schools

Full disclosure: I have a child in Kenmore Middle School who will walk this year instead of taking the bus. --ST

Comments (5)

Comment Feed

It's true that's why

Cathy Constantine was quoted because her child had bus service last year but doesn't this year and she sees this switch as a safety issue. For the revord, the Constantine's actually live on the Northside rather than the Greenbrier section of AF.

Perturbed Parent 254 days ago

Some sanity?

Walking to the metro this morning, I saw kids at the same bus stop as in prior years (the entrance to the townhouse community between Lee Highway and Washington Blvd). Clearly < 1mile from Tuckahoe but these kids are still getting bus service.

former tuckahoe 257 days ago

we are not going to quit

The fight has just begun and APS better be prepared for dealing with this issue in the long term. We are not going to let this go.

just one parent 260 days ago

Why is Constantine quoted?

Cathy Constantine lives in the Greenbrier section of Arlington Forest. For at least 7 years, that section has NOT had buses to Kenmore. She may not like the policy (enacted in 2005) but the new enforcement of it does not change anything for her.

Barrett Parent 261 days ago

Typo patrol

Steve, it's "buses," not "busses" and "busing" not "bussing" – getting it wrong once is a mistake, but multiple times may be the result of a faulty education or sheer laziness.

Scooby Doo 263 days ago