North Allegheny busing changes strive for efficiency

As more than 8,500 North Allegheny students get ready for a new school year starting Aug. 22, the transportation department is gearing up by making plans for shorter bus runs, fewer stops and later pickup times for high schoolers.

A department update presented to school board on Aug. 7 revealed that consolidating bus stops throughout the district resulted in eliminating some bus runs, which helps students, families and drivers. The measure also represents a big cost savings to the district, transportation director Scott Mergen said.

A survey among families last school year revealed concerns about the length of bus rides, number of transfers and early start times for high school students, Mergen said. He cited general inefficiencies such as buses stopping too frequently and some running with too few students.

North Allegheny families were notified by Superintendent Brendan Hyland this summer that the transportation department was going to evaluate the stops and make some changes.

Members of the transportation department spent the last few months visiting bus stops for any that could be safely eliminated or consolidated with another nearby. Each route was tested and confirmed for safety, Mergen said.

Out of NA’s seven elementary schools, 583 stops were eliminated, as of the Aug. 7 presentation, reducing the 1,468 stops in 2023-24 school year to just 885 for the coming school year. As a result, nine bus runs were eliminated.

A total of 167 stops were eliminated in the three middle schools combined, resulting in 14 fewer bus runs than the previous year, per the report. For the intermediate and senior high schools, 235 stops and four runs were jettisoned.

The ripple effect of changes from elementary and middle will positively impact students in high school, who now have later bus pickup times in the morning.

Last year, the earliest pick up was at 5:45 a.m. Mergen said the goal is to not pick up any students prior to 6:15. There are a few stops that still are scheduled for 6:10, but he’s hoping those can be moved back, too.

The changes also reduce the need for outside shuttle services, which leads to big cost savings for the district, he said.

The transportation department follows School Board Policy 810 for guidelines, which includes a stipulation that students are not required to walk more than three-quarters of a mile to school or a bus stop.

The farthest a student has to walk in the district now is about four-tenths of a mile, Mergen said. And except for roads that are designated as hazardous, bus stops will be at least one-quarter mile apart, as per the policy.

Also, district buses will not travel onto streets terminating in a cul-de-sac or dead end, unless required by state law. And bus stops will be established in housing plans having a loop or through streets for only the elementary public and private school students, except regarding students with disabilities or special needs.

The plan will be revisited annually, according to the board policy. Mergen also asked for families to understand the busy nature of the first few days.

“We want to remind our families that the start of school for every transportation department nationwide is always very challenging. There’s always going to be some bumps in the road the first week of school,” he said.

Any issues will be addressed the first week of school, and changes will be made as necessary.

Mergen also addressed another parental concern from a previous annual survey regarding lack of customer service.

“The staff we have now is quality staff. I know they are all student-centered, customer-service centered. I don’t think parents are going to run into the issues they had last year,” he said.

School board director Paige Hardy commented on the “incredible amount of work and detail that is absolutely something someone needed to do.”

Dr. Vidya Szymkowiak, another school board member, said giving older students an additional 15 minutes or so of sleep will be important for teens’ sleep cycles.

As of Aug. 7, Mergen also said the district is close to having enough bus drivers to fill the replacement of 13 who retired last school year, and additional mechanics and assistants have been hired.

School board director Michael Weniger said Mergen’s work is reflective of quality needed at North Allegheny. Mergen previously worked with Hyland at Plum Borough School District.

“This is the performance we want. We want excellence. We want performance. This is exactly what we want to have for our district,” Weniger said.

Changes will be made as necessary during the first few weeks, based on timing and safety issues, and will always be available on the district’s online PowerSchool system, via www.northallegheny.org.

Any concerns or issues can be directed to bushelp.northallegheny.org.