About 400 elementary- and middle-school students taking part in the Shenendehowa Inventors program will display their inventions at the former Cotton Market store at Clifton Park Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
They didn't get new buses yet and for them to drive full size buses to Albany and back twice a day to transport special needs students would be in a word--stupid. They will need the smaller vehicles one way or another.
I have had the task of maneuvering a full size school bus through the roundabout(s) in Malta. I have no idea how someone takes an 18 wheeler through there. Those things are dangerous and the directional signs might as well depict a plate of spaghetti they are so confusing.
I think the impact of those sleep deprivation studies was on high school students who should have more sleep than they allow themselves. Unfortunately this proposed change will do nothing to help them. For the most part the younger children are up and awake and ready to go earlier than their sleepy siblings.
I'm happy to see that they have taken back the Albany bus runs to the local drivers. I'd like to see how the bus routing is going to be accomplished. Does that mean that they are going to eliminate bus runs? Does it mean that elementary students will be getting out half an hour later? Will the afternoon buses make two trips instead of the current one in the afternoon? How will it impact the cost of drivers' salaries and the cost of fuel for making a double trip? The driver's make a good salary now, will this put them into overtime, costing the district more money? Or will overtime be watched carefully so more people get more hours instead of just a few getting all the extra work? How will the union handle this? For the students, not mixing the high school and elementary students is a good idea but once again you will have complaints about half empty buses since the majority of students who ride are the younger ones.
Why couldn't they have economized in the first place? Is it another case of them thinking that the people in this poverty-stricken town have unlimited resources to fund sports?
Personal service like was offered by Delnegro pharmacy cannot be matched by the big chain stores. Our family has dealt with them for upwards of fifty years. You weren't just a face in the crowd to them. They were knowledgeable and friendly. They knew your name when you walked in. This is terrible news for all of us.
Okay, vote down the bus proposition. Pay ten times the amount you could purchase the buses for. Blame the school board for that too. Will it reduce what we pay in taxes? Not a dime.
Who will suffer if the school bus proposition is voted down? You and I, my fellow taxpayers, as well as our children. If Gloversville has the opportunity to purchase buses at ten cents on the dollar (which is not a rate every school district qualifies for) and doesn't do it then we could be stuck paying full price for those same vehicles. DOT inspects school buses twice a year and if they are unsafe for the transportation of children the bus is put out of service. Does this depend on whether or not the district has voted for or against a bus proposition? No. Are there ways the school board could save taxpayers money? Undoubtedly. But being forced to maintain vehicles that are over ten years old with hundreds of thousands of miles on them? It is just to ridiculous to even think about.
Considering the fact that teenage drivers are the ones most likely to be involved in an accident it seems as though there should be very compelling reasons for schools to allow a student to drive to school at all.
Maybe they should set the criteria: If they have a legitimate job, if they keep good grades, if they have taken driver training. Any infraction of the rules should rescind driver privileges.
Just because they have a beater car and enough money for gas is not a good reason to let them take this risk. A risk which would ultimately come back on the school district should something happen to the student and his or her passengers.
Posted on August 17 at 5:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They didn't get new buses yet and for them to drive full size buses to Albany and back twice a day to transport special needs students would be in a word--stupid. They will need the smaller vehicles one way or another.
On School districts' taxpayers get look at new rates