BACK ON THE BUS: Moms on the march restore school bus service

Nicole Fulcher

COLUMBIA, 9/19/11  (Beat Byte) --  Don't mess with a mom on a mission -- or a savvy veterinarian who looks like Sigourney Weaver, the fearless heroine of the Alien franchise. 

 

That may be part of the message behind a surprise restoration of Columbia public school bus service to West Junior High School students after Nicole Fulcher, D.V.M. went public with a much nastier surprise -- drivers had kicked her daughter off the bus because district administrators had eliminated her long-time route without notice.   After years of ignoring it, district officials had suddenly decided to enforce a rule that students within 2 miles of a school are not eligible for bus service. 

 

"As a mother of three young growing teenage daughters, I pick my battles wisely and this one I am ready to take on!" Fulcher  explained in a "press release" about the bus boot. 

 

In a Sept. 13 letter to parents along the formerly-downsized routes 25 and 32, which take in neighborhoods around Maupin, Spring Valley, Bingham, Edgewood, and Maplewood Drives among others, district administrators conceded.

 

"Please find the resolution to providing transportation service to the West Jr. students removed from service due to the District's two mile eligibility policy," wrote Columbia Public Schools transportation coordinator David Wilson. "Upon a review of the matter in which West Jr. High students were removed from routes 25 and 32, it has been determined appropriate to add an additional bus route," he said.  "Effective 9/15/11, route 157 will begin operation." 

 

The new route 157 will add 15 stops according to the map at this link. 

 

"Hip, hip, horray!" Fulcher said.  "We now have an additional bus in our neighborhood.  Parents can change things by complaining loudly enough!" 

 

RELATED:

http://www.columbiaheartbeat.com/2011/08/school-bus-boot-columbia-parent.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/65197198/CPS-Bus-Routes

 

 

2 comments:

1. 
   Anonymous September 19, 2011 at 11:35 AM

   Yes, (upper class) parents can change things by complaining loudly, but should they? If teenagers cannot walk a miserable 2 miles to and from school, what kind of pansies are we collectively raising?

   Reply
    
    
2. 
   Alyce September 19, 2011 at 8:32 PM

   Bravo Nicole!

   Reply