It was the primary day of faculty for college kids and fogeys throughout Renfrew County Wednesday, and including to the nervousness of a brand new faculty 12 months was the truth that faculty buses are nonetheless not operating.
There was no progress in contract negotiations between the area’s faculty bus operators and the Renfrew County Joint Transportation Consortium (RCJTC).
The 2 sides have been final scheduled to assembly Tuesday afternoon. The RCJTC stated it prolonged a proposal of a observe up assembly with the college bus service firms later this week.
It has left the transportation of scholars as much as the mother and father, lots of whom which are being pressured to change work schedules and prepare group carpools.
“I am working proper now, and I am on my solution to work,” stated guardian Tracey Pratt, who was dropping her youngster off at Walter Zadow Public Faculty in Arnprior. “I am somewhat heat as a result of we parked far-off and we walked simply to keep away from the cluster on the gate.”
The city of Arnprior organized for bylaw and police to patrol Ottawa Avenue site visitors Wednesday morning, the place each Walter Zadow Public Faculty and Arnprior District Excessive Faculty are situated.
“I am certain over a thousand college students, and nevertheless many mother and father are in all probability right here proper now,” remarked guardian Chelsea Lewis.
She credit communication from the college board in managing the mass inflow of households coping with an absence of faculty buses.
“There was quite a lot of emails, fortunately. And so we parked a methods away, in all probability like a ten-minute stroll away and walked in.”
“It is undoubtedly a fear when you might have that many pedestrians all of a sudden transferring into an space, particularly children, it’s a concern,” stated Arnprior city councillor Chris Couper.
“The clerk’s workplace was very proactive about getting out and ensuring that we had the presence out right here. Our city operations employees as nicely, they put up some non permanent parking restrictions alongside John Avenue to essentially preserve that from being a bottleneck.”
The Renfrew County Catholic District Faculty Board (RCCDSB) says plans are in place to accommodate college students who’re unable to attend faculty in particular person as a result of transportation disruption.
“Throughout this primary week, employees have been requested to find out which college students haven’t attended faculty and if the explanation for not attending is because of an absence of transportation, a person plan might be put in place for the scholars to entry their faculty work on-line, or by work packages if on-line entry isn’t doable,” the RCCDSB stated in a press release.
The Renfrew County District Faculty Board (RCDSB) additionally says it is going to accommodate college students who can not attend class due to transportation points.
“Lecturers are making lodging for college kids who can not get to highschool with synchronous distant studying (i.e. Google Classroom) or work packages that might be despatched residence for these with connectivity points,” the RCDSB stated.
The varsity bus firms say even when a deal have been to be reached imminently, buses wouldn’t be again on the street till October.
“I need it resolved,” stated Pratt.
“I can not foresee this carrying on. There might be a sure variety of children that might be at residence, I am sure, doing at residence education. And that is not supreme.”
