Uninformed and Left to the Side

Tuesday Nov. 12, 2008 at 6pm  a phone call came in from South Street Elementary School. It was a recording informing me that children who are forced to take the Mart Bus to school will no longer be able to do so without a $25 bus pass. The normal 50 cents per ride is not accepted as of tomorrow morning.

 I ask myself when did they come to this conclusion and why did they wait until 14 hours before the bus is to pick our children up to notify us? I would think even a three-day notice or advance would have been a bit more professional, but less than 24 hours in notice just seems bullying and extortive. But as a parent I haven’t a choice. The school has made yet again another change without the consult of its constituent’s guardians.

I wish that I could say that this is the first time South Street Elementary has fallen short in respect for its lower-income community. Incidents concerning lack of information, completely wrong information and accusatory tones and letters have put me on the defensive with the school. Such as, my child clearly had his bus money taken from him, told the teacher and then I who the child was that stole his bus money, but was still accused of never having it at all by his teacher. Admittedly I really didn’t appreciate having someone supposed to be an educator being so bold as to insinuate that I either didn’t send the bus money in with my child, or my child managed to lose it in the course of the day. Yes a bus pass does make it easier and a handout would have been appropriate and a date been determined to give the parent time to get the bus pass, but I can only draw the conclusion that the “Powers That Be” at South Street Elementary do not feel that children like mine who take the Mart bus everyday have parents that deserve more than a 14 hour notice about changes being made at the schools leisure.

I cant help but point out that Mart bus riders are required to purchase a bus pass at full price for the month of November because this has been decided. The full months bus pass is 25 dollars, but there are only 10 school days left in the month. When I add up 50 cents a ride, which leads to $1.00 a day, and with 10 days left in the month well that would be $10.00. Then why is the bus pass not being prorated since it is now a requirement and not an option?

It is traditional that a bus pass would save the buyer money and not charge over double that the cash equivalent would be.

Does Mart get this overhead? Does the school pocket all the extra money from these required in the middle of the month bus passes? I truly wonder and the question will stay on my mind when I go into the school as one of the “no need to inform them ahead of time” parents to get a great deal less then what I will pay for.