West Deptford School Officials Still Working Out Bus Woes with DeHart

With busing concerns still driving parent worries, officials said a recent meeting with representatives from H. A. DeHart & Son should help resolve the situation.

The focus was on the late bus routes, Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman said at Monday night's school board meeting, given the incident about a month ago, where on a late bus route.

“We did come to pinpoint a few minor changes we'll make at the school level,” Kitchenman said.

But at the same time, DeHart's drivers are going to be more specific with students who get on the late bus, asking them where they're going, rather than where they live, as they did previously.

That should eliminate some of the confusion, since the bus company is taking 24 bus routes and condensing them down to just two with the late runs, Kitchenman said.

There are still concerns over substitute drivers' training, given the problems have centered around subs, Kitchenman said.

School board President Christopher Strano said the board is working from the policy side to see what can be done.

“We're constantly looking at how to improve, and how we can, as a board, fix via policy anything that's going on with the busing,” he said. “Obviously, it's been a big concern as of late.”

Strano said he'd still like to see something more concrete in terms of policy from DeHart's management as it relates to drivers' interactions with students, especially on where they're going on late runs.

“That's just common sense,” he said.

DeHart's ultimate wish is to get a list in advance of students taking the late bus, which Kitchenman said is a virtual impossibility.

“It changes daily,” he said. “The drivers just have to be more in tune to who's getting on their bus.”