Finally…We have bus!!

After about 4 weeks of calling, hounding, fist-slamming,…talking to 8 different people in 4 different departments...we have bus! Seriously, I have not experienced a more disjointed and inefficient process than in dealing with the school district’s Transportation Department. Getting them to resolve the bus issue for Aidan was like pushing an elephant thru a key hole!!? It was hurdle after hurdle after hurdle. First, someone didn’t put him in the system for bussing. Then, they got him in but it was incorrect. Then, they put him on a ridiculous 2 ½ hour route to get to a school which is just 10 minutes away. Because of that, I felt compelled to hit them with a doctor’s note limiting his ride time to no more than 45 minutes. At which time, they then seemed to have invented to a new rule where the school district’s doctor had to examine him and approve the bus ride limitation. When I mentioned this rule to other transportation district personnel, they had never heard of it. And…when we showed up to see the district doctor, he did not even lay a finger on Aidan! Even the doctor said it was a formality and as long as we had our own doctor’s note he would approve it. What a waste of time and energy! Then they said because we live in a gated community, we had to have a Private Property permit. What?? When Aidan had bus transportation before, that was never required. It’s as if they have to give you road block after road block before they will let you coast! After I gave the Transportation Manager an earful for his department dragging their feet and not doing their job right, we finally, finally, got the bus!
What happens to those kids with moms that have to work, and don’t speak English and don’t complain? It appears to me that they try to make it hard for the parent, and make parents jump through hoops to get what they want. And if the parents are dedicated enough and squawk loud enough, then they might get what they want….but surely, the district is not going to make it easy for them! What about the families with both parents working that have to rely on the bus to transport their child to school…do they just not go to school?? Something is very wrong about that…