Parents protest Perth Amboy’s decision to cancel courtesy busing
Parents say they received a letter notifying them of the courtesy busing cancellation about a week before the new school year.
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Perth Amboy parents are protesting after the school district decided to cancel courtesy busing for several grades and programs.
After student dropoff and pickup on the first day of school turned local roads into a parking lot, parents voiced their concerns outside City Hall.
Many chanted, “¡Queremos transporte!” which means “We need transportation!” or, “¿Dónde está el dinero? - “Where is the money?”
The district previously provided courtesy busing for all grade levels, but that was removed this year. The traffic jam from extra cars made some students late for their first day.
"The cutoff time is at 8:35 a.m., and I ended up dropping him off at 8:55 a.m.,” said parent Aneudys Peralta.
“It’s never been 30 minutes to drop off your child at the school,” said parent Martha Rodriguez. “I saw little kids walking long distances.”
Parents say they only found out that courtesy busing within a two-mile radius of K-8 schools was canceled a week before school began.
“I’m going to have to be in late to work every day,” Peralta said. “How many times can they use that excuse, ‘Oh, I’m late again because I’m taking my kid to school?”
Thursday’s protests were outside City Hall. Mayor Helmin Caba responded by saying walker safety is a top priority, but he says ultimately, it’s a district decision.
News12 has reached out to the district repeatedly for comment and has not heard back.
