Every year the school district gets requests from patrons that live in New Salem to provide busing for in-town students. Until this summer, the answer has been no, for a variety of reasons, including liability, logistics, and the lack of buses/drivers.
While these reasons are still valid, the School Board recognizes in-town bussing could make a positive impact for some in our district. The transportation committee is interested in a possible in-town bus route trial for students that live on the south side of the railroad tracks. A trial route in this part of town has been discussed due to the distance from the school building and safety concerns that accompany the railroad crossings.
While we look into this possibility, there are a few points I would like to make clear.
- This would not be a new bus route. It would be part of an existing bus route.
- There would be bus stops to reach the most students. The bus would not stop at individual houses.
Finally, we are only investigating if there truly is a need, how great the need is, and whether we can logistically make this work. It is for these reasons we encourage you to fill out the survey which is available on the school's website and Facebook page. The results of the survey will help guide the Board to determine if it is viable to have in town transportation in place for part of New Salem. Upon completion of the survey period, the information will be assembled and reviewed by the transportation committee, they will then bring forth a recommendation to the full board before school starts. In the meantime, if you have questions/comments during this process, please feel free to email me at brian.christopherson@k12.nd.us.