More Conversations to Come Regarding Possible High School Bus Route
Town and Country Transit General Manager Patti Lynn Baker talks with Kittanning Borough Representative Andy Peters regarding possible fixed-route trips to the new Armstrong Junior-Senior High School for students and other passengers.
by Jonathan Weaver
Fixed-route trips for students and community residents to the new Armstrong Junior-Senior High School are closer to becoming a reality.
The fixed-route trips were just an exploratory suggestion last month, but Town and Country Transit General Manager Patti Lynn Baker told municipality representatives yesterday that conversations with Armstrong School District’s Director of Student Transportation, Child Accounting and Safe Schools Jon Fair have increased and progressed, and that she is now to meet with building principals regarding the idea.
Baker reiterated that the service would not be a charter service for the students, but if negotiated with school board directors could be an additional stop along the bus’ fixed route to other stops in Kittanning, Ford City or Manor Township.
“Any routes that we would add that would include the high school would be very-much like we did when we included Kittanning (Senior High) or Ford City – it would be absorbed into our regular route,” Baker said after last month’s meeting. “It wouldn’t be service that only went to the high school.”
The first trip from the new 7-12th grade school in Manor Township will actually be made with learning support students and staff September 24.
Learning Support trips also were scheduled the past few years while classes were held at Ford City or Kittanning high schools.
Many high school students have also taken fixed-route trips during the past calendar year.
“The nice thing about being smaller like (Town and Country Transit is), our drivers know when they’re going to be riding by themselves, so they always tend to look out for them and make sure they actually do get on the right bus,” Baker said. “Our drivers are excellent about things like that – whether it is a high school student who may be riding for the first time by themselves or maybe a confused elderly person.”
Changes to other fixed routes may come with the addition of the stop at Armstrong Junior-Senior High.
Local News | jweaver September 17, 2015
