With school bus service a no-go for the start of the school year for English public and Catholic school boards in Renfrew County, families have had a huge additional challenge to contend with.
The region’s school bus operators and Renfrew County Joint Transportation Consortium are without a contract and at odds – meaning when school starts for most students on Wednesday, Sept. 4, buses will not be running.
From carpools to walking groups to simply having to miss school, the ways families are dealing with the service disruption are varied.
Tanys Vanderlip, mother of a three-year-old and a six-year-old, says normally, her son’s school bus service takes him from daycare to school and back to daycare at the end of the day.
The lack of buses complicates her family’s schedule.
She said her family is fortunate there is some flexibility in her husband’s work schedule but not all are as lucky and she’s seen a variety of ways parents are dealing.
She feels for families who are affected, as the challenges of returning to school or going for the first time can be enough of a transition.
Vanderlip says she hopes the conflict is resolved as soon as possible and that the bus operators’ demands are met.
(Written by Sherry Haaima)