East Ramapo Central School District hires consultants to help busing problems, some parents still not satisfied

Parents and students gathered outside the East Ramapo Central School District’s administration building Friday to demand a solution to busing problems.
Anderson Tenemaza, a 12-year-old student at Chestnut Ridge Middle School, says he hasn't had a bus to take him to school all week.
His mom either drives him and his 4-year-old sister to school late or they pay for a cab each way.
Tenemaza is among hundreds of East Ramapo Central School District students still without a reliable way to get to class.
Friday morning, the school's Board of Education approved a pair of transportation consultants to figure out its busing issues.
One consultant will be paid $680 per day, three days a week, and the other consultant will be paid nearly $20,000— both contracts could run through next June.
Still, some parents aren't satisfied and are wondering how their kids are getting to school on Monday.
"Parents need action now. Not two weeks from now, not three weeks. We need immediate resolution now,” says parent Ana Maeda.
A bipartisan group of state lawmakers continues to put pressure on Gov. Kathy Hochul and the school district to fix the issue immediately.
"It's happening all over the country, but it doesn't make it any better what's happening here. We need action and we need action to get it fixed now,” said state Sen. Elijah Reichlin-Melnick.
Reichlin-Melnick told News 12 the district is expected to bring on 12 new bus drivers next week, which would cut the number of kids without transportation in half.