By Linda Delmonico-Prussen
Some older children affected by the re-measuring had received busing for many years, parents said.
Resident Rob Lombardi called the district's decision to rescind the eight children's busing "unfair and inappropriate." When moving into his Merrick home, Lombardi said, he called the district and was assured that, from his new house, his children would receive bus service, but now they do not.
According to district policy, students living within 1 1/2 miles of their schools are ineligible for busing.
Parents called into question how the district measures distances to determine busing eligibility. Charles DeLuca took exception with the district's policy of measuring from a student's home to the closest door at a school. DeLuca noted that, at Lakeside-Levy, the back door that was used to determine busing eligibility for many children is off-limits to students as an entrance.
Madeline Lombardi said the bus stop where students board in her neighborhood practically falls at her door. Her daughter, however, does not now receive busing, although she did until this past Friday. "You would think the bus should stop at a qualifying house," she said, not in front of a home where the child is ineligible for busing
The district's legal counsel, David Cohen, said the board of education determines busing-eligibility requirements, and once a policy is put in place (i.e. measuring from a student's home to the closest door of a school), that policy must be applied consistently throughout the district.
Board President Diane Seaman attempted to close the discussion by saying to parents whose children recently lost busing that "we [the board] do not have the latitude to let you on the bus."
Parent Donna Migdol said, "The board feels that its hands are tied. The board can make or change policy." Migdol said parents would petition New York State Education Commissioner Richard Mills to look
into the matter.
Superintendent Dr. Ronald Smith said the children who recently lost busing weren't the first to have the privilege revoked. Another group of students from Chatterton Elementary School lost busing in August.
In other district news...
Board Trustee John Davis wondered about construction vehicles and other traffic at Lakeside-Levy School overburdening Dorothy Court, as reported last month in the Herald. Construction is ongoing at Lakeside-Levy.
Several Dorothy Court residents had complained that parents attending activities at the school were using the gate off Dorothy Court, which was opened to allow access for construction vehicles.
Syd Friefelder, Merrick's assistant to the superintendent for business and technology, said the gate off Dorothy Court is now secured with a combination lock, preventing parents from entering the school via the residential street. Additionally, he said, workers operating heavy machinery have been asked to clean up their garbage.
