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WI residents challenge school board on bus policy Children living in homes that are within the mileage requirements to receive bus service in the West Islip School District were temporarily denied continuation of those services after the school district recently determined that they should be walkers instead. "My house hasn't moved," said one parent who was among several who spoke at a recent West Islip School Board meeting protesting the change. The homes, that had received transportation for many years, are on Udalia Road and Udalia Court. "It's just a knee jerk reaction (by the school district) because someone complained that they didn't get the bus, so now we can't although we're entitled," said an exasperated Michelle Delaney whose two children attend Bellew Elementary School and who had been receiving bus service until the change was made. "They need to reevaluate how they are determine mileage," she added. There's a large discrepancy and it's not fair. It's not about who takes the bus and who doesn't, it's about consistency in the policy." According to some of the parents at the meeting, they had been advised by the district that it has purchased a "special machine" that is now being used to calculate mileage and determine bus eligibility. That didn't sit well with the parents who questioned the need and expense for the purchase. "I guess they mean an odometer," said one angry mother. "But why purchase a machine when every car has one?" West Islip students in grades K-1 receive the bus service regardless of the mileage; students in grades 2-5 must live at least a half mile from the school for bus service; students in grades 6-8 must live at least a mile away and students in grades 9-12 must live at least a mile and a half from the school to be eligible for bus service. Additionally, according to the New York State Education Department regulations the Commissioner of Education has determined that a district is not required to spend a great deal of time, effort and money in measuring distances, nor is it required to measure with the accuracy of a profes- sional survey. "It is well settled that use of a calibrated automobile odometer is legally reasonable and sufficient, and calibration can be as simple as comparing odometer readings with the mileage markers along the highway," the Commissioner's ruling notes. "According to my car, my house hasn't moved," shrugged Delaney. School Board President George Smith said the board would look into the issue, which it did.
"We recalibrated the mileage and now they have the bus again," said Nancy Lenz, district spokesperson who declined to be more specific about the district's about-face on the issue or the "special machine."
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