WOODBRIDGE, N.J. — Band parents told the Woodbridge Township Board of Education on Sept. 18 that three box trucks the district bought to replace decommissioned school buses will not hold their equipment at competitions and that district communications about the change broke down. The superintendent said administrators have offered the trucks as a practical replacement for aging, unsafe buses and asked band directors and athletic directors to coordinate with transportation to make the vehicles usable.

Parents described tight timelines and insufficient cargo space. Henry Ingram of Fords said comparing a retired bus’s capacity "to a 26 foot box truck that only holds a 192 square feet" means "that space is inadequate completely" if multiple schools compete the same day. Heather Petrie of Iselin, who said she has loaded buses for four years, told the board, "they're not gonna fit," and described a pit and front ensemble that had outgrown past transport solutions.

The district’s superintendent, Dr. Massimino, told the meeting the buses were removed because they were near the end of their useful, safe life and that the administration purchased three interchangeable box trucks so every high school would have a vehicle to use. He said the transportation supervisor notified principals and athletic directors in March and that administration’s expectation was that buildings, band directors and parents would work through outfitting and scheduling over the summer. "I can't answer a question you don't ask," he told parents who said they had not been informed.

Board and transportation officials offered several short-term options discussed at the meeting: adding ramps or lift gates, outfitting the trucks with removable shelving, using wheelchair vans that have extra floor space, borrowing municipal box trucks or other town vehicles, and — only as a last resort — parents renting vehicles. The board encouraged band directors to contact the transportation supervisor to request specific outfitting (shelves, ramps, lift gates) and to coordinate among schools so box trucks can be shared when multiple bands compete.

District staff said the trucks were purchased to be utilitarian and interchangeable, not permanently assigned to a single school, and that carpentry or shop staff could install ramps and shelving if directors specify needs. Board members and the superintendent repeatedly urged parents and band directors to route requests through principals and athletic directors so the transportation office can log and prioritize work orders.

Parents at the meeting pressed for immediate solutions because competitions begin quickly; the administration acknowledged the timing is tight and said transportation would follow up. The superintendent asked principals to ensure band directors and athletic directors coordinate with the transportation supervisor and promised the district would try to source additional vehicles or municipal assistance where feasible.

The meeting produced no board vote on the trucks themselves; the purchase had been approved earlier. Several parents said they would meet with school staff and the transportation office and report back to the board if short-term fixes (ramps, shelving, borrowed municipal vehicles) were not sufficient.

The board said it would continue to work with parents and school staff to identify a practical mix of short-term fixes and a longer-term plan for transporting large ensembles and props.