FREDERICK, MD - Officials in Frederick County, Maryland are still considering using public transportation for students.
"Why can't we use the TransIT buses that are running the same routes, running right past our schools, running right past our libraries, and use those buses to haul our students to school?" says Billy Shreve, (R), Frederick County commissioner. "It makes sense. It's a duplication of services if they're running the same routes."
Shreve is proposing to use some of the empty seats on TransIT buses for students.
"What I'm hoping to accomplish is that it will be a more efficient use of our tax dollars, and that the students would get to used to using public transportation," says Shreve.
Frederick County Public Schools Superintendent Terry Alban recently met with county officials. The group is considering narrowing Shreve's idea down even further.
"When students do after-school activities, it's at the end of the day, the school buses have already left, so how do we get them, make sure they can leave those after-school activities, and get home safely," said Michael Doerrer, spokesman for Frederick County Public Schools.
Shreve says he thinks the county should start off with busing high school students. Parents have mixed reactions to the idea.
"A lot of older students probably already drive to school, so I don't know how many older students we'd be talking about," says Dave.
"You don't know what type of people are out there. I feel like they're safer on a school bus verses a public bus," says Rebecca Smith.
This is an ongoing debate that could make some of the buses students ride go from yellow to green.
"We have instances every year where strange people are trying to contact our school children while they're waiting at the bus stop, so it doesn't matter if it's a public bus or a private bus," says Shreve.
Talks are continuing among county officials, the Frederick County Board of Education, and those with Frederick County Public Schools. The group hasn't set a date to make a decision.
