JACKSON, NJ – Residents in Jackson are irate after the Jackson School District, in a cost-cutting move to increase route speed and save money on fuel relocated dozens of neighborhood bus stops onto busy highways and main thoroughfares.
The decision led to traffic backups, road blockages and parents concerned about the safety of their children.
About 10 years ago, the Jackson School District moved many stops off of the main roads after several vehicles rear-ended school buses during frequent stops on main roads. In addition, there were several crashes between non-school-bus involved vehicles due to the sudden stops. After years of complaints, the school board reluctantly moved those stops.
This year, the board alerted those parents that their bus stops would once again be moved to the main roads.
Last week, Jackson Police Department traffic safety officers inspected the situation and were shocked to find the mess created by the decision.
Cars could not get through as parents waited on each side of the road in their vehicles on a hot summer afternoon with temperatures in the 90s and a heat index of over 100.
On some roads, traffic was only passable in one direction. Councilwoman Jennifer Kuhn has called upon the Jackson school board to change the policy.
A heartfelt letter sent to the school board and township officials was responded to by Mayor Michael Reina, letting the children and their parents know that the decisions made by the school board cannot be overturned by the township, but he and his fellow councilmembers Scott Sargent and Jenn Kuhn would reach out to the school district to see what could be done.
“I appreciate your heartfelt and sincere letter, where you’ve shared your concerns and voiced your support for your mothers and neighbors. It’s important to note that the routes are determined by the Board of Education, and we do not have the authority to instruct them to make alterations,” Reina said. “Nevertheless, my administration is actively pursuing every available avenue to reach a swift resolution. This morning, our Township Traffic Safety Supervisor conducted observations and monitoring related to these concerns. Once this assessment is complete, we are confident that he will communicate his findings to the appropriate authorities.”
Officer Jeff Henba later delivered a detailed report to the mayor and Chief of Police.