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School committee considers group stops, bell-time tweaks and route changes to address afternoon bus delays

March 14, 2025 | Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District, School Boards, Massachusetts


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School committee considers group stops, bell-time tweaks and route changes to address afternoon bus delays
District staff and the district's transportation contractor, First Student, presented a set of recommendations to reduce afternoon bus delays that have left elementary students waiting up to 30–45 minutes for late buses and required mid-route student transfers.

First Student and district staff recommended assigning group stops for high school and middle school routes where feasible, adjusting bell times and examining whether a modest reduction in elementary bus counts could free vehicles to support later tiers. The company said consolidating stops and eliminating repeated cul-de-sac entries can reduce route times; First Student's representative estimated each net stop removed saves roughly 45 seconds to one minute on a route and that aggregated reductions can cut total route time by about 10%.

Why it matters: Parents reported afternoon pickups with long waits and, in some instances, mid-route transfers between buses. Timely bus service affects student safety, staff scheduling and the district's ability to provide consistent after-school and camp programs.

Public input: Multiple parents attended and described local examples where three or more stops fall within a very short distance but remain separate on routes. Those parents and committee members said they support changes that do not compromise safety for younger children. District staff indicated proposed group-stop changes would affect mostly middle- and high-school pickups and would not extend walking distances for elementary students.

Plan and timing: First Student prepared a list of specific stops and staff said they would notify affected families. The committee discussed implementing a trial of grouped stops after the April school break so May and June data could be collected and analyzed before the end of the school year. Committee members also asked administration to assess the bus-application process for possible seat reservations in order to better manage capacity.

Committee action: Committee members agreed to move forward with targeted stop consolidations and review data gathered during the trial. At the end of the meeting the committee tabled extended subcommittee or policy votes due to the late hour but directed staff to proceed with the trial and outreach to affected families.

Ending: Administrators said they will provide maps and lists of proposed consolidated stops, communicate with families whose pickup locations would change, and return with results and a recommendation after the trial.

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