With no buses, traffic snarled at Randolph schools

For those students running into Randolph Community Middle School Thursday morning, it was as much a marathon as a sprint.
That's because, starting this week, there are no school buses in Randolph except for those transporting special education students - a byproduct of budget cuts related to failed override votes. School officials were able to save $452,000 by redistricting, such that most all students through sixth grade now live within two miles of a school.
The move has led to traffic congestion and tardiness. Cars choked High Street around 7:45 a.m. as students arrived at the middle school - some on foot, some in their parents' cars, some even in taxis.
"A lot of people are coming late to school because they have to walk," said Faizon Sarukh, 13, an eighth-grader at the Randolph Community Middle School.
Principal John Sheehan said the school had designed a new traffic system to get parents moving in-and-out of the driveway quickly. Officials planned to give some grace period to students who they knew would have trouble getting to school and not mark them tardy as much. At Donavan Elementary School, the chief issue was parking, as many parents who wanted to walk their children into the school had no place to put their cars.
Still, residents knew this change was coming, precipitated by the school budget crisis.
Officials still eliminated more than 40 positions - many of them teachers - resulting in class sizes projections in the high 20s to low 30s in the elementary grades. Even with the moves, the school budget went up $500,000 over last year to $29.67 million, the first increase in three years. School officials said the budget is still $3.2 million less than what was needed to maintain last year's programs.
Sue Parker, a parent with children at the high school, middle school and Donovan elementary, said, "All these people were complaining about the buses, but where were they at the voting booth?"

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[patriotledger]

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[theillesteva]

i wasnt here for september but i cam around january in 2008 so when i came there were no busses at all, which rlly sucked cuz i had to walk -.-

[lilhiphopgirl101]

What a bummer. No buses = more tardies + absences

[xostarburtz96]

whose tht sexy pakistani guy in the beginning...jk they fkin cut me off

[crazymaniac190]

lol

[OTooleBoy213]

Im in the seventh grade at RCMS and I agree totally with these parents.But.....at lease the overide past this year in 2008!!!

[CANDYCHiQ]

AHHH!!! ITS FAIZAN ND MR SHEEHAN.

[animecakey]

OH I go to RCMS.I saw Mr.Sheehan.ROFL.