Cohasset families are dealing with unpredictable school bus schedules as mechanical problems have sidelined two buses, forcing the school district to combine routes and leaving parents scrambling to adjust work schedules and childcare arrangements.
At the Nov. 4 School Committee meeting, Superintendent Dr. Shannon acknowledged the disruptions and outlined plans to restore normal service, including repairs to the disabled buses and the anticipated arrival of an 11th bus that would provide additional backup capacity.
Cohasset resident Casey Cameron addressed the issue during public comment, describing the challenges her family has faced with changing pickup and drop-off times. Cameron, who has children in kindergarten and fifth grade, said her family paid $800 for bus transportation this school year after experiencing similar scheduling problems last year.
Both parents work full time, and Cameron said the family depends on predictable transportation, particularly because an adult must be present when her kindergartner gets off the bus. She said notifications about schedule changes sometimes arrive the night before, making it difficult to plan her commute into the city. After contacting the district's transportation director, Cameron said she was still looking for a clearer plan to address the recurring disruptions.
"I didn't really get an answer, so I guess I'm here tonight just looking to see if there's a plan or if we're going to get an email every day for the rest of the year."
Shannon explained that two buses were out of service because of brake problems. One had been in the repair shop longer than expected because a replacement part had been delayed twice. As of the Nov. 4 meeting, the district expected the part to arrive the following day and hoped to have that bus back in service by the end of the week or early the following week.
The second bus was also awaiting repairs. Shannon said the district's transportation supervisor was contacting other repair facilities in hopes of getting the vehicle into a shop on Nov. 5 or 6.
The district also expected delivery of an 11th bus by the end of the week. However, Shannon cautioned that the vehicle would need to be registered and inspected before entering service, a process expected to take another week and a half to two weeks.
The district planned to continue combining routes through the end of the week and reassess the situation based on repair progress.
"I think it's very reasonable to ask for a more than one day at a time plan. And at the same time, sometimes we don't know until that day if we're going to have the bus the next day or not," Shannon said.
During the discussion, committee members questioned whether certain bus routes were experiencing more frequent disruptions than others. One member suggested the district examine whether it could distribute the inconvenience more evenly among families rather than repeatedly affecting the same routes.
Another committee member supported exploring that approach, particularly given the challenges facing working parents. Shannon agreed to discuss the possibility with transportation staff, although no changes to route assignments were announced during the meeting.
The transportation problems also highlighted the district's upcoming capital spending decisions. Shannon said eight buses are nearing the end of their leases, and the district has experienced increasing mechanical problems as those vehicles age.
As part of its fiscal 2028 capital requests, the district is recommending a new three-year lease for eight buses rather than a five-year agreement. Shannon explained that although shorter leases are somewhat more expensive, repair costs during the fourth and fifth years would outweigh the savings from longer leases.
Committee members also discussed the importance of maintaining spare vehicles. The district operates nine regular bus routes and plans to have two backup buses once the additional vehicle arrives and is ready for service.
The School Committee voted unanimously, 3-0, to approve its FY28 capital requests, including the proposed bus leasing arrangements.