Magnet school transportation affects bus times for many

Parents living in the outskirts of Shelbyville may be feeling the impact of the new magnet school in Bedford County, and they're not happy.

Buses left about 25 minutes earlier than normal on the first couple of days of school, which began Monday, to accommodate children attending the magnet school, said Jimmy Williams, school transportation director. These students are dropped off at the school in their geographic zones. From there, they are picked up by a second bus and taken to Thomas Magnet for a 7:40 a.m. start time.

"My children now have to get up between 4:30 and 4:45 a.m. to catch the bus on time," said Anna Collier, a mother of two students who attend Liberty School on Snell Road.

Liberty does not begin classes until 8 a.m. and the Collier children are being picked up at 6:05 a.m., about 15 minutes earlier than they were picked up last year.

"Because of the magnet school my children are on the bus at 6 a.m. and they got dropped off yesterday at 4:14 p.m.," she said. "Their driver does not let them sleep on the bus ... I just think two hours before school starts is ridiculous."

School superintendent Ed Gray said he is aware of the issue and is working with Williams on finding a solution.

When asked if changing the start time for Thomas was an option, pushing it back to a later time, Gray said they were considering it "big time."

Gray also said he believes any person who wants to attend the magnet school should be able to attend, and that is why transportation is provided to magnet school students.

"However, we cannot start bus routes 30 minutes early to make that happen," he said.

School board member Amy Martin agreed with Gray, saying children should not have to catch the bus so early.

"I fell sure that adjustments will be made," she said. "I feel bad this has caused inconveniences for the children and parents, but also for some teachers who must arrive earlier at school to ensure a presence when the children are arriving (at an earlier time)."

Williams said that most of the bus routes have leveled out and only a small number of children are affected.

But for the Colliers, and other children in the more rural areas, being picked up at 6 a.m. is not a small problem.

Collier's children, now in fifth and sixth grade, have homework they can't finish because they have to go to bed so early, by 7:30 p.m., in order to wake up at 4:30 a.m.

Liberty classes end at 3 p.m., and the Collier children arrive home at about 4:15 p.m.

"We are looking at baths, eating and homework, and we barely have enough time for homework," Collier said. "People have told me to just drive them myself. That is not the answer."

Even last year, before the magnet school was an issue, Collier felt the 6:15 a.m. bus arrival was too early. But even without the magnet school, Williams said, students have to get to school early enough to eat the optional breakfast.

"My kids eat breakfast at home," Collier said, adding that at Liberty students are let off buses at 7:10 a.m. Because they have already eaten breakfast, they sit in the gymnasium for 50 minutes while others eat breakfast.

"My son doesn't need two hours to find something to get into trouble with," she said.

Martin said the school board has not met since the beginning of school to discuss this situation. Its next meeting is Aug. 20 at 7 p.m., possibly at Community High School, although the location has not been finalized. To learn more, call the Board of Education at 684-3284.

"In defense of 'first week' problems, every school year brings a different set of issues and problems that have to be addressed," Martin said.

Other complaints she has heard about include traffic flow at Learning Way and Harris Middle School.

"I know when (Harris) opened a few years back, I transported my granddaughter and the first week was a nightmare until we all got the hang of the flow," she said.