Stoughton reverses decision to cut school bussing for 150 students amid parent backlash

STOUGHTON — Stoughton Public School officials secured transportation for more than 100 students who were initially denied spots on school buses for the upcoming school year, officials announced in a statement .

Less than a month before the start of the school year, Stoughton Public School officials sent an email to the families of 150 students letting them know their children would not be provided transportation for the 2024 school year due to budgeting concerns.

The announcement sparked intense backlash from parents who had no way of getting their kids to and from school.

Officials announced on Monday that they would reverse their decision, providing bussing for all secondary students who were initially denied the service.

‘Families left panicking’: Why 150 Stoughton students won’t get transportation this fall

The decision to cut school bussing services was initially made due to lack of funding, according to the August 14 email that was sent to affected families. As part of budget cuts, one of the bus routes was cut to use funds to prioritize "keeping teachers in the classroom."

"We reviewed our staff hiring for July and August and were able to utilize the savings of $79,000 and prioritized adding this bus," Stoughton Public Schools spokesperson Jeffrey Pickette said on Tuesday. Pickette did not immediately comment on how hiring decisions were affected.

The school bus that was added back into rotation will be making two runs each for the morning and afternoon commutes to accommodate all the students, officials said. Students placed on this bus should receive postcards in the mail this week, they said.

Officials also said that some students who were originally placed on a bus needed to have their routes changed. Those students should also be receiving a postcard with their updated route information this week.

“We thank families for their patience and understanding during this process and understand the feelings of frustration and concern as a result of initially not receiving bus transportation,” Stoughton officials wrote.

"I'm very happy with the way our town rallied together and pushed for a better solution for our kids," said one Stoughton mom whose son was originally denied busing services. "We worked individually and collectively as a community demanding our voices be heard," she said. "I've lived in Stoughton for over 40 years, and I've seen our people come together for numerous reasons over the decades. It is really what makes Stoughton great."

More information will be announced at tonight’s virtual school committee meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. Interested parties can join the meeting on Google Meets .

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Stoughton reverses decision to cut school bussing for 150 students amid parent backlash