DAY-CARE BUSING POLICY LEFT UNCHANGED

JACKSON -- After three motions for action and more than an hour of discussion, the Jackson Board of Education voted four to one to keep a new transportation policy involving day-care centers intact for the 1998-99 school year.

Board member Gerald Adams was the lone naysayer when the vote was taken Tuesday night regarding transportation of students to and from day-care centers within the school district. The measure was approved by Tom Ludwig, Vicki McDowell, Darrell Hanschen and T. Wayne Lewis. Board president Jack Knowlan did not vote and member Jeanette Bollinger was not present.

Lewis' first attempt to enter a motion that would have kept the new policy intact but added an amendment to consider "reasonable exceptions" died on the floor. Motions from McDowell and Ludwig regarding devising and implementing a one-year phase-in period for the new policy were later withdrawn.

Lewis' second attempt to get his motion approved was passed.

In January school board members approved new attendance-center boundaries for each of the district's seven elementary school buildings. The school board elected in March to continue to provide bus service in the fall for children who live in the same district as their day-care; however, other students would have to find alternate transportation or new day-care services.

The policy came under reconsideration but was tabled in mid-April after numerous parents and day-care providers requested administrators vacate the new policy and continue the district's practice of transporting students attending schools within Jackson city limits to day-care centers within city limits.

Superintendent Dr. Howard Jones said administrators were unable to devise a consistent, equitable transportation plan that would accommodate all 20 or more day-care providers within the school district. Increased ride times for students, fairness to all day-care providers, and costs to the school district were all issues that should be considered, he said.

"I do not believe anybody except (transportation employees) understand the complexity of 2,500 miles, 62 routes per day to try to accommodate boxes full of special requests day in and day out," he said. "It is extremely difficult to try to transport kids to and from 20 or more day-cares and 10 school sites. We just don't know where to stop."