SHENANDOAH — The Shenandoah Valley school board reestablished a school bus stop along Raven Run Road that had been removed about three decades ago.
Heather Lawson moved into her home on the road — state Route 4032 — in October. She spoke to the school board at Wednesday’s meeting stating that the distance from the house in West Mahanoy Township to the Raven Run bus stop — about one-third mile away — is not safe for her two sons in high school.
“We still have an issue about a bus stop,” Lawson said. “We live near Raven Run, not in the patch of Raven Run, but near the water authority. From our home there are no sidewalks, no street lights.”
Lawson said the area is also used by hunters during the various seasons, which is also a safety concern.
“It’s dangerous,” she said. “I had written a letter to the school after several attempts of talking with Patti (Chesla) in transportation. I was told in November that it was investigated and there was no need to change anything.”
Lawson was contacted by district Superintendent Stanley G. Rakowsky and was told that the school district had adjusted the school bus pick-up/drop-off locations several years ago and no stop was located at the location.
After not receiving any satisfactory answers to her questions, Lawson said she decided to address the school board directly at a meeting.
“For almost 30 years there have not been children on our road that attended Shenandoah Valley,” she said.
Lawson understood that the policy was implemented when there were no students to be picked up, but that has changed since then. She said requests to receive the policy and the bus routes have not been answered.
“I work up there and I can tell you I wouldn’t want my kids walking there,” board Vice President Daniel Salvadore said.
Salvadore asked if there was a need to make a motion to create the bus stop, but Rakowsky said the stop would be added. Rakowsky told Lawson that he would contact her the next day with the times for pickup and drop off beginning last Friday.
“Thank you very much,” Lawson said.
In other business, the school board approved a resolution for the school district limiting any increase of real estate taxes to no more than 3 percent in the 2015-16 school year. School districts are required by the state Department of Education to set the limit each year even if there are no plans for a tax increase in the next budget year, which begins July 1.
The vote was 7-2 in favor of the resolution. Voting against were Thomas Twardzik and Richard Zimmerman.