A group of Rowan County School District Parents is asking the Rowan District Schools Central Office and Bus Garage to revert back to bussing accommodations from the 2023-2024 school year.  In the alternative to reverting back to previous bussing arrangements, parents and the Rowan County Community request that Rowan County Schools Central Office host a Town Hall Meeting PRIOR TO THE START OF SCHOOL in a mutually agreeable location with capacity to accommodate attendees.

Countless parents have reached out in search of answers regarding recent transportation policy enforcement within our county. While we were one of very few counties who have transported children outside of their assigned school zones, this policy has been "relaxed" for at least the last 10 years. 
Parents can't simply re-enroll their children in a new childcare facility. It's my understanding every facility in our county has a waiting list.

St. Claire Regional Medical Center and Morehead State University are two of the largest employers in our District. Parents employed at those locations depend on their children being bussed to their workplace which only falls within ONE school zone. Not all working families can afford child care and have come to rely on friends and family outside of their school zones to babysit.
At what point does "relaxing" a policy over a 10 year period create a "defacto" policy? The new transportation changes could potentially have extreme ramifications within our local economy. How many parents will choose to stay home rather than work for lack of childcare? 

We have some unique situations where children attend a specific school for their special education units. Those children have IEPs that include transportation, yet their siblings who often attend the same school do not have these accommodations. 

Enforcement of the previously relaxed policy will impact sports teams such as cross country elementary students who are bussed to Rowan County Middle School for practice. 

Our school system recently received a Community Schools Grant. How is this being a "community school"? How is our Rowan County School District going to emphasize mental health while making changes that will likely impact the mental health of many children and families? Are we really going to pull a child from their elementary school that they have attended their entire school career? How is it fair to remove students from their teachers, friends, and all sense of familiarity? 
Parents do not know who made this decision and why. We have heard that the decision was made due to bus driver shortages, to save money, because children were getting on the bus too early and off too late, and because school employees had to stay too late at the schools until the last student was dropped off. What we can do is provide to you the contact information of a few people who could have played a role in deciding to revert back to the original policy. Your Viking Community PTSA officers are just a handful of voices. Parents and guardians MUST speak up. There are more parents, guardians, and students than administrators and we do have a voice! 

I TRULY hope that this massive change wasn't made in order to convenience a handful of employees while inconveniencing a massive population of our student body.  We can all understand discontinuing underutilized services, but to take away something that many would consider a necessity, is unfortunate. 

 

Michael Rowe Superintendent michael.rowe@rowan.kyschools.us (606)784-8928
Doug Binion Transportation Manager james.binion@rowan.kyschools.us (606)784-4908
Glen Teager Financial Manager glen.teager@rowan.kyschools.us (606)784-8928
Brandy Carver Assistant Superintendent brandy.carver@rowan.kyschools.us (606)784-8928
Denine Sargent Director of Pupil Personnel denine.sergent@rowan.kyschools.us (606)784-8928

ALSO consider contacting your elected school board members. 

Jeff Patrick 

Brenda Stamm

Scott Davison