Croydon
On Friday, Superintendent Greg Vogt sent a letter to parents advising them the district has leased a 15-passenger van to transport students to schools in Croydon and Newport.
The letter said the van driver will be the woman who is currently earning certification to drive a full-size school bus and that training is expected to be completed in a month.
The district, which lost its regular driver last year because of health reasons, had been using a driver from the Newport School District. However, Newport has been down two drivers, three including the one driving for Croydon, and that has affected the district’s ability to ensure its sports teams could get to and from games. In late August, the Newport School Board voted on a memorandum of understanding with Croydon for the driver but amended that agreement at the Aug. 25 School Board meeting to end the arrangement on Sept. 30. It was later extended one week to last Friday.
Vogt said Sunday evening the van will make two trips: one to the Croydon Village School for about 10 students and the other to Newport schools, including the Montessori Schools.
“I think there should be enough room,” Vogt said.
The letter stated there may be times when it is “tight” and Vogt asked that students ride the bus when “only absolutely necessary.”
Vogt also said in the letter that because the van did not have the required markings or lights that school buses have, the driver is required to pull in the driveway at each stop to pick up or drop off students.
“This is a temporary situation,” Vogt said Sunday, adding that the school district is training a second driver and it would be good to have another one ready in case the regular driver is sick or unavailable.
“We are midway through our temporary plan and hopefully it will work out,” he said.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com
