NORTH PROVIDENCE – School officials are contemplating changes to start and end times at some local schools, a move they say could improve bus transportation efficiency and reduce costs.
Supt. Joseph Goho explained at the April 29 school board meeting that Mario Carreño, of the Rhode Island Department of Education, appeared before the committee last fall to encourage them to participate in a statewide review of transportation by the TransPar Group. The committee voted to do that then, he said, and officials have since met twice with the company.
A report from TransPar is now in hand, said Goho, but its recommendations aren’t yet fully vetted. He said there are some potential areas of efficiency, including minor adjustments to start and end times at one or more schools of five to 15 minutes.
Goho said they’ve met with bus service provider Durham School Services on the changes at the middle school level and possibly elementary schools as well. Once Durham comes back with answers, he said they’d like to move forward and engage with the town’s teachers’ union.
Goho said there are opportunities for efficiency for students, families, and the district as a whole. He asked for, and the committee granted, permission to move forward with potential changes to avoid late notification to families.
