School bus company switch in Red Wing causing confusion, delayed pickups, parents report
Red Wing, Minnesota, parents say since the first day of school, some students haven't been sure when their bus is coming or if it's coming at all.
"It's concerning to me that it's still happening three weeks in," said Amber Dawn Plank, a Red Wing parent.
Back in March, Red Wing Schools switched bus companies from First Student to Metropolitan Transportation Network, or MTN. It was a cost-saving move, but Plank says so far, it's backfired.
"If you cut costs and you put kids' safety on the line, that's where I have a problem," said Plank. "Buses aren't showing up. There are no set routes. Buses are driving by children as they've been waiting on the curb."
Some families have reported that their kids have waited more than two hours to get on a bus, only to have the bus drive past them. Or that students have been dropped off in the wrong location altogether. In one case, a parent says a van, not a bus, brought his son home and he doesn't know who was driving the van.
Superintendent Bob Jaszczak said the switch to a new bus company has been a massive undertaking. And while he said there have been some improvements, it's still not enough.
"There is no doubt that it has been a difficult start to the year regarding the change in our transportation provider. It has caused significant disruption throughout the community as nearly everyone is impacted when buses do not run on time. While we are seeing progress, we are not yet where we need to be," Jaszczak said in a statement to WCCO.
Plank said families have been referred to the BusRight app, which is separate from MTN, to keep track of their routes. But she said it hasn't been helpful yet.
"It's still concerning that I'm looking at the app and I have no idea where my kid is," said Plank. "I think all of this could have been handled better. I think sometimes when you cut costs, cheaper isn't always better and it costs us more in the long run."
Red Wing signed a 3-year contract with MTN in March.
School Board members have suggested giving MTN a deadline to fix the problems, or they could look for a new busing company.
