092200 Busing and class size problems beset Bedford schools

BY FRANK NARDOZZI

A shortage of school bus drivers and an unexpected surge in the number of elementary school students caused parents concern and school district administrators consternation during the opening weeks of school this year in the Bedford Central School District.

More than 20 parents turned out for the school board's meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 13, to complain about class sizes for first graders at Pound Ridge Elementary School and to ask for an additional class section or teachers' aides.

Schools Superintendent Bruce Dennis blamed the problem on "huge increases" in school enrollment in the lower grades, especially at the Pound Ridge and Mount Kisco elementary schools. While denying the parents' request for an additional class section, Dr. Dennis did say that a reassignment of teachers' aides from higher grades was possible.

Dr. Dennis also reported that a shortage of bus drivers and the consolidation of school bus runs were causing earlier pickups and longer delays in transporting students to and from the schools.

These inconveniences, in turn, were prompting more parents to drive their children to school, which was causing traffic jams on Route 172 that blocked school buses from entering and exiting the Fox Lane campus.

The traffic is at its height between 7:30 and 8:15 a.m. when, Dr. Dennis said, adding that it took him up to 25 minutes to get from the Shell station at the intersection of Routes 22 and 172 to the entrance of the Fox Lane cam-pus.

Bedford Central's Transportation Director Cheryl Fitzgibbons said at the meeting that the hiring of additional school bus drivers and the splitting of some consolidated school bus runs would be necessary to solve the problem. She blamed some of the difficulty on the general increase in traffic in the Bedford area.

School Board President Dot Fallon cited the number of school buses that remained unfilled last year as the reason why many bus routes had been consolidated.

"This is a trying time for parents and students," Mrs. Fallon said. "I hope that everyone will try to be patient. We are working as hard as we can."

Projected enrollment for the first grade at Mount Kisco Elementary School was 76 students. Ninety have enrolled, however, an increase of 18 percent.

Projected first grade enrollment at Pound Ridge Elementary School was for 53 first graders. However, 69 students have enrolled, an increase of 30 percent.

Due to factors such as the number of students for whom English is not their native language, the 90 first graders at Mount Kisco Elementary School were split into five class sections, making the average class size 18.

The 69 first-graders in Pound Ridge were split into three sections, which created an average class size of 23. An increase of one teacher would have brought their average class size down to 17.25.

But given the relative absence of education problems, at least in the language area, the school district chose to give the extra class section to Mount Kisco. Dr. Dennis also said that there was no room at the Pound Ridge Elementary School to create another classroom.

The average class size of 23 students in the Pound Ridge first grade is right at the maximum number the school board wishes to see in a lower grade