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District Takes Cue From Past

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By LIZ BLEAU

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 18, 2008

VALRICO - As the school district prepares to expand its cost-cutting school bus route plans to other parts of Hillsborough County, Pearl Chiarenza feels the pain of parents upset with proposed changes in their neighborhoods.

In August, Chiarenza spearheaded a revolt by parents in the South Oak subdivision who were livid about a bus route change that eliminated a stop inside the development and required children to cross busy Bell Shoals Road to a new bus stop.

The change was among several the Hillsborough County School District imposed at the start of the last school year in District 5 in eastern Hillsborough County.
District officials said the changes were designed to trim costs and make the system more efficient. The plan included designating fewer bus stops; leaving a minimum of 500 feet between stops instead of the 250 feet previously permitted; putting more stops at intersections and fewer in the middle of blocks; allowing no fewer than two or more than 20 students assigned to each stop; and eliminating narrow, dead-end or one-way streets from routes.

Now that plan is being expanded to communities in Tampa, northwest Tampa, Westchase, Carrollwood and Citrus Park.

John Franklin, general manager of transportation for the district, said there were lessons learned from the pilot program last year, and the district will keep those in mind as it is implemented in other areas.

For example, the process has been condensed so parents' complaints can be reviewed in about five days, he said.

In addition, those plotting bus routes now know to involve bus drivers.

"This is something I learned from the issue at South Oak," Franklin said. "The drivers have a deep level of knowledge about the streets, hazards for students at bus stops, intersections and traffic congestion patterns."

The bus driver at South Oak was not consulted before the bus stop was moved to Bell Shoals Road.

After a noisy and emotional protest on the opening day of school, Franklin reviewed the complaints and agreed to move the bus stop. Students in high school and middle school now are picked up and dropped off at the entrance to the subdivision, and elementary school students again have their stop inside the development.

Chiarenza said she remains concerned about middle school students who must wait on a grassy patch close to Bell Shoals or in the road.

"There are going to be about 15 to 20 middle schoolers at the bus stop this year," she said, "and I think they need to reconsider the decision not to come into the subdivision for the middle schoolers."

Chiarenza credited Franklin for listening to South Oak parents and addressing concerns he could.

Now, she said, she thinks the district needs to address other parents' concerns "before someone is injured or killed at unsafe bus stops."

Reporter Liz Bleau can be reached at (813) 865-1557 or lbleau@tampatrib.com

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