Nampa to end bus route
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Nampa will stop bus service to the Boys and Girls Club of Nampa on January 7. Video by IdahoOnYourSide.com
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The Nampa School District is giving more than 200 families just three weeks to figure out what to do with their kids after school. The district is ending bus service to the Nampa Boys and Girls Club, and it's a service many parents say they can't do without.
One of those parents contacted On Your Side to find out why its happening, and to tell the district it needs to be more responsive to parents concerns.
The Nampa Boys and Girls Club is a safe haven for kids after school until their parents are done at work. They arrive daily by bus.
"And that bussing service will end." says Allison Westfall with Nampa Schools.
The district sent parents an e-mail last Friday announcing that bus route stops Jan. 7.
"I was really just blindsided by it," said parent Meredith Dille. "I don't know what I'll do without bussing. My son isn't old enough to be home alone."
Meredith Dille works 30 minutes away at the Middleton Fire Department and she can't leave work to transport her son every day.
About 250 kids every day use the Boys and Girls Club for after school activities and the alternative is to bus them home where they would be unsupervised in many cases. The district says the bus service isn't required by law and it will save $84,000 to help make up a $4.3 million dollar deficit.
"They have three weeks to plan and identify solutions for their children after school and I encourage them to reach out to other parents and programs to find out what options are available for their children." says Westfall.
Dille says the district didn't think this through.
"They're not offering anything," she said. "The e-mail just said that's it. I'm willing to pay for a bus pass. I'm, willing to pay more."
She says paying a few hundred extra dollars would be far cheaper than finding daycare, but it seems the district has already made up its mind. Here's some good news, the Boys and Girls Club says it will step up and cover bussing costs until the end of January. They also plan to keep working to find a more long term solution.
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