(Unsplash photo)
As news broke last week that yet another negotiation had failed to result in a resolution to the ongoing school transportation disruption in Renfrew County, some 200 parents, community members and education workers met for a virtual town hall on the matter.
Among them was Jennifer Crawley, a Petawawa mother of two school-aged children – one at Valour High School and one at Herman Street elementary, two different schools with two different pickup and drop-off times.
Crawley was among those who shared her story, outlining the many negative effects of the disruption, including two-and-a-half hours per day of time away from work while she drops off and picks up her children.
And while it’s costing her family quite a bit, she said she realizes there are some who can’t afford or aren’t able to get their child to school at all.
Along with the time and cost of the disruption, Crawley brings up another point – safety, at crowded drop-off and pickups, as well as on the roads.
In her family, and likely many others, she suspects, existing anxiety is exacerbated by the situation.
Crawley said she had been hoping the matter would be resolved before the start of school. Then, she hoped it would take a week or two to get buses back on the roads. She is surprised and disappointed it is now stretching into its sixth week, with no end in sight.
She is sympathetic to the plight of the school bus operators.
What does Crawley see as the ideal solution for the ongoing dispute?
Crawley did say it was helpful through the virtual meeting to hear from other parents, educators, and union representatives to get a better idea about who to contact with concerns.
A letter writing campaign, called ‘Renfrew County Kids Need a Ride,’ has been launched to direct community concerns to politicians.
(Written by Sherry Haaima)