Nyack Mother Implores Board of Ed. to Change Bus Routes

At the Nyack Board of Education’s monthly meeting this Tuesday evening, mother of a Nyack school district student, Emily Feiner, approached the microphone in a plea for help.

Feiner is a mother of two, with a daughter who is headed to college in the fall, and a son who will is high school student in the Nyack School district. Feiner’s son is a special education student, who throughout his high school career has been transported with three other special needs students to Suffern High School. In her statement, Feiner pleaded with the Board to consider adding a direct bus route for her son and the other students.

Every morning, Feiner’s son wakes up at 5:45 a.m., to be ready to be picked up by the school bus at 6:15. The bus drives to Valley Cottage to pick up more students, and then proceeds to drop many of the students off at Don Bosco. Feiner’s son arrives at Suffern High School at 7:15 a.m., 15 minutes before school even starts. What could be a twenty-minute drive has turned into an hour commute for this high school student. Feiner is not only upset by the long bus ride itself, but also for the impact this early wake up time has on her son’s mental health.

“The extra hour he’s deprived of sleep greatly impacts his chance for success in high school,” said Feiner. “I understand the need to minimize cost, but I’m asking the district not to disadvantage my son for another year.”

Part of Feiner’s son ailment is that he has a sleep disorder, so the lack of sleep is detrimental to his development and state of mind. Feiner worries if her son will ever have the opportunity to go to college like her daughter had.

“They couldn’t succeed in this district, so at least help them in Suffern. I’m begging you as a parent.”

Nyack Superintendent Jim Montesano was the first to respond to Feiner’s request.

“We don’t minimize these types of decisions. In fact, we’re looking to expand our special education program here in the district so that in the future this can be avoided,” said Montesano. “But there is an economic consideration, which is what this issue’s really about.”

Montesano stated that running a separate, direct bus route for these students would cost $48,000.

“We often get many concerned parents of children with secondary drop-offs, but its not a small expense,” said Montesano. “It comes at a high price.”

Montesano also added that the district has reached out to the Nanuet district in the past to coordinate bus routes, but it did not seem cost effective.

While the Superintendent suggested to Feiner that a separate bus route was not going to be possible, he left the issue slightly open ended.

“This is a fluid situation that can still change. We’re still in the process of annual reviews,” said Montesano. “We know its not just an inconvenience, it has a weight that influences the ability for a child to be educated.”