Rural mom will ask school board to revisit bussing; add options to hub drop-offs
BY BECKY UEHLING
GRANT TRIBUNE Correspondent
For working moms and dads, getting younger kids to and from school can be a daily challenge. For rural Perkins County parents, this task became even more challenging in 2020 when the school replaced door-to-door bussing with hub drop-offs. On Monday, Oct. 20, rural Perkins County mom Megan Apolius will ask the board to revisit the topic, and consider adding other options to the existing hub system.
“Reliable transportation is critical for students in rural areas,” Apolius said. “Without it, many families face challenges getting kids to and from school and activities.”
Currently, three drivers take children to drop points in Madrid, Elsie, Venango and to the Trinity Lutheran Church on north Hwy. 61. Caregivers meet the children at each hub to transport them the rest of the way home.
The change from door-to-door busing to hub drop-offs was made by the school because of challenges to find and retain qualified bus drivers, along with attempting to decrease wear and tear on the buses, according to Perkins County Schools Superintendent Mark Jolliffe. “Transitioning to the hub model was estimated, at the time, to save the district around $60,000 annually,” he said.
Apolius said she has researched the topic extensively and will present her findings to the board on Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. The meeting is scheduled for two hours earlier rather than its normal time at 7 p.m. to accommodate those wanting to go the school concert that evening, according to Jolliffe.
Apolius’s extensive research has included talking with other rural school districts about their bussing, researching the history of bussing in the Perkins County, and listening to community concerns. After all of this she said she feels good about the ideas she has to bring forward to the school board.
Apolius said she is not advocating to replace the hub system, but would like to see the school adopt a hybrid method the incorporates other options along with the hubs.
“I’d like to see where hub-style routes and home drop-offs work together. That way, families who live farther out still have reasonable access while the district can manage costs and staffing,” she said. “My goal is to find a balanced solution that supports families and is realistic for the school.”
According to Jolliffe, the school is fortunate to have the three dedicated drivers they have in a time when getting and retaining good, qualified bus drivers continues to be difficult. Bus drivers are required to hold a CDL and complete significant additional training, which has contributed to a nationwide shortage of qualified drivers, he said.
Jolliffe said the bussing topic was discussed at the last board meeting, and since then the administration has been gathering data to continue the discussion on Oct. 20
“We remain open to exploring new ideas and solutions and look forward to hearing Mrs. Apolius’ presentation and input from others at the next board meeting,” he said.
Apolius encourages people to come to the meeting on the 20th if they agree with changing bussing or not. And she reminds citizens that the meeting was moved up two hours earlier to 5 p.m. from 7p.m.
“This isn’t just about one family—it’s a community issue. When more people are involved, it helps the board see the full picture of how transportation impacts families and students,” Apolius said.