Sarasota County School District Holds Initial Town Hall of the Year, Faces Parental Backlash Over Transportation Problems

Key Information

• Topics discussed: School bus transportation and budget cuts.
• Issues: Overcrowded buses, delays in pick-up and drop-off.
• Number of bus routes: Reduced from over 200 to 182.
• Late registrations: Contributing to overcrowding on buses.
• Wilkinson Elementary School: Discussions about potential closure due to low utilization rates.
• Upcoming discussion: School-based program for Wilkinson will be addressed in the next school board work session.

The big topics discussed were school bus transportation and budget cuts.

Parents and students expressed concerns about insufficient space on buses, as well as numerous delays in both picking up and dropping off students.

“The new bus routes are creating long bus trips, and students are consistently getting to school late, and parents are having to drive their students to school to avoid these problems,” noted a concerned parent.

Back to School: Sarasota Superintendent Terry Connor talks with ABC7

The transportation department indicated that bus routes have decreased from over 200 to 182, as the school district requires a minimum number of students on each bus for funding purposes.

They also reported that many parents are registering their children late for school bus services, contributing to overcrowding on the buses.

“And as we add them on, then that creates some of those issues where there are more kids on the bus. So as soon as we’re aware of that, we start working right away to do leveling and move those around, and we’ll add additional routes if we need to,” explained Dr. Keith Little, Sarasota County School District Director of Transportation, in a recent statement.

Another significant point of discussion was the potential closure of Wilkinson Elementary School.

The superintendent and school board members clarified that while definitive closures have not been on the table, conversations about protecting the school are ongoing.

“To be very transparent, there have been planning and conference table conversations with staff about schools like Wilkinson, which are in the 50% or below utilization rates right now because of the schools of hope,” said Superintendent Terry Connor.

The school district confirmed to ABC7 that it is currently reviewing different options for Wilkinson Elementary School, with a school-based program discussion scheduled for the upcoming school board work session next Tuesday.