BELOIT, Ohio (WKBN) – Last month, The West Branch School Board informed two local daycare facilities that they would be cutting transportation services for the upcoming school year. One of those facilities is Precious Cargo Daycare in Sebring.
The daycare received a letter from West Branch Local School District that buses would no longer travel to its facility because it’s outside the district.
For the last 20 years, parents would drop their kids off at the parking lot, and then the school bus would transport them back and forth from school. Precious Cargo Daycare President Justin Evans wants to figure out a solution.
“There are a lot of single parents. There are a lot of two-income households that need before and after care,” he said.
The daycare proposed an alternate bus stop to the board. It’s located directly across the street from the daycare and within the district.
“So that the kids could get on and off the bus safely. They would cross, and I would have two members with stop signs that would help them cross the street. They would stand on a sidewalk about 20 feet long,” Evans said.
The superintendent and school board denied the proposal and said it was not safe because of the number of trucks in the area. More than a dozen children in the daycare attend West Branch schools.
Precios Cargo voiced its concerns about the busing cut to the school board saying it will not only impact families in open enrollment but also families in the district.
The district said there will be an alternative bus stop location at Maple Ridge in Smith Township Park near Alliance-Sebring Road. The stop is about five minutes from the daycare.
“I’m not quite sure why they could choose a stop that doesn’t have a child care center nearby. That doesn’t make sense to me,” Evans said.
The district said they can provide transportation to an alternative daycare within the district. Evans says he is willing to do whatever it takes to get the bus stop at the daycare.
“I spoke with the Sebring Police Department that said if we can work out a time that works for them, they’ll stop traffic for us if we need it,” Evans said.
Another school board meeting is set for later this month.
“I plan to be there with as many parents as I can muster,” Evans said.
