Three town halls set on transportation issues

The district has been receiving bus-related complaints since schools opened last week.

Following several issues involving Krise Transportation since classes began last week, West Mifflin Area School District will provide families with an opportunity to speak directly with representatives from the bus company.

Three transportation town halls have been scheduled as a result of complaints from parents.

Each meeting will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The dates and locations are: • Thursday at West Mifflin Area Middle School.

• Sept. 1 at Clara Barton Elementary School.

• Sept. 2 at West Mifflin Area Middle School.

All K-12 families are welcome to attend any of the meetings and bring their questions and concerns, school board President Kevin Squires stated in a Facebook post.

Problems began when schools opened last week, with many parents taking to social media to report long wait times at bus stops and trips to school lasting 90 minutes or more. Several parents complained of buses running well behind schedule or even skipping stops altogether.

According to a release from Superintendent Jeffery Soles, the district met Tuesday with Krise Transportation to review parents’ concerns, and to discuss what needs to be done.

Soles said Krise Transportation has hired several new drivers, and they are reviewing routes each day, using additional buses to help when delays occur.

Traffic and the ongoing construction on Lebanon Church Road has contributed to the delays, which has led to route changes and other adjustments. The district put out an alert Tuesday that several road issues are causing significant transportation delays.

“We know the first several days of transportation have been frustrating for many families,” Soles said. “This is not the experience we want for our students or parents, and we are working directly with Krise Transportation to address these problems.”

This is the first year that Krise has been contracted to provide transportation services for the district after the school board approved an agreement in March that will run through June 30, 2031.

Parents with concerns can contact the district’s representative from Krise Transportation at 412-3464108 and jtamburo@krisetran.com.

Anyone contacting them should provide the child’s last name, bus number, bus stop and a brief description of what happened. The bus company has promised to respond to calls and email messages within two days.

Krise Transportation issued a statement Monday that read in part, “Regarding the situation involving the student requiring ADA-accessible transportation, we regret the delay experienced this morning. The issue was addressed as quickly as possible, and we are reviewing the circumstances to help prevent similar disruptions in the future.”

“This is not the experience we want for our students or parents, and we are working directly with Krise Transportation to address these problems.”

JEFFREY SOLES

SUPERINTENDENT