School Committee addresses transportation delays
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Northborough - A complaint that first surfaced at the beginning of the 2006-2007 academic year has again been raised by parents in town: Why does it take so long for buses to pick up and drop off their children from the town's schools?

Some of those concerned parents raised the question at the Sept. 4 Northborough School Committee meeting - the first of this academic calendar.

"School ends at 3:15. On the first day my son was dropped off at 3:50, and we're the first stop," said Kim Koopman, whose son attends the Marguerite E. Peaslee School. "The last few days it's been 3:40. These kids are tired. They just want to get home. Why does it have to take so long?"

Peaslee School Principal Don Holm agreed with Koopman's assessment - it is taking far too long to transport the town's children to and from their schools.

"We have transportation problems and we are attempting to work through them with the bus company," Holm told the School Committee at the meeting. "In my opinion students are having to wait a very long time in the morning."

Margaret Donohoe, principal at the Fannie E. Proctor School, has also heard about the long wait and long bus rides, but also that the situation has begun to be remedied.

"It has gotten better; we have seen some gradual improvements," Donohoe said. "With attention to the issue I believe it will continue to improve."

One problem the schools are attempting to iron out with the bus company is the picking up of students at more than one school before the ride home actually begins for the students.

Other business

Other topics discussed at the Sept. 4 Northborough School Committee meeting included a review of capital purchases and ongoing improvement projects.

Business Director Cheryl Levesque reported that the Northborough School System has entered into a moneysaving lease on computer and technology equipment.

"We project $45,000 in saving from the new lease agreement," Levesque said.

Gail Jenks, the system's technology director, said $62,625 has been allocated for the purchase of equipment, along with $55,000 for the operational hardware that accompanies the machines. The technology and equipment has been ordered, but has not arrived.

"It's not the ideal situation, and certainly not what we were hoping for," Jenks said. "We