School bus (Credit: LevittownNow.com)
Several East Rockhill Township parents raised concerns Monday night about student safety following district transportation changes that moved their bus stop from a quiet residential street to a main road intersection.
Speaking during public comment at the Sept. 29 Pennridge School Board meeting, residents said the new location requires children — some as young as kindergarten age — to cross Fifth Street, a road with a posted 35-mph speed limit and limited sight distance due to a hill.
East Rockhill resident Capri Pye said the change contradicts the district’s stated goal of “safe, efficient, and reliable transportation for every qualified student,” citing language from an Aug. 14 email sent by the transportation department announcing stop consolidations and adjustments for “greater efficiency and safety.”
“It is within reason for parents in this district to expect the district to always work to improve the safety of our children, not regress,” Pye told the board. “Crossing the street to board a bus is a known hazard. It’s not safe enough.”
“Can we agree that it is reasonable for parents in this district to expect the district to always work toward improving the safety of our children — not regressing? Moving our bus stop from a quiet residential street to an intersection along a main thoroughfare forces families with young children, and often even younger siblings, to wait in a less safe location. It also requires our children to cross the street to board the bus — a known safety hazard — especially given that the nearby hill creates a visibility issue,” she said.
Pye also cited the district’s BusPatrol program, which recorded 211 stop-arm violations in Perkasie and Sellersville during the 2023–24 school year, as evidence of the risks children face when crossing the road to reach their bus.
Pye said the change has created additional hazards because of the number of children crossing.
“At our stop, with roughly 10 children crossing the street, it is nearly impossible for a bus driver to monitor every student and ensure they have safely boarded. I have seen children run back for forgotten hugs or to pick up dropped papers, placing them at further risk. These are children — we should not expect them to behave like adults,” she said.
Other parents shared personal stories underscoring their safety concerns. One mother, Karen Otrupchak, also of East Rockhill, said she inadvertently drove past her child’s stopped bus earlier this summer while distracted during pickup, a mistake that resulted in a citation and reinforced how risky the intersection can be.
“Under state law, officers must allow drivers up to 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit before issuing a citation for roads with limits below 55 miles per hour. That means on Fifth Street, where our bus stop is located, a driver can legally travel 44 or 45 miles per hour without receiving a ticket — unless an exception applies,” Otrupchak said. “It is also important to note that speeding and traffic enforcement are not significant revenue sources for municipalities.”
Otrupchak said many traffic violations carry a basic fine of just $25, and if a driver pleads guilty or is found guilty, the municipality receives only half — $12.50 — with the remainder going to the county or the Commonwealth.
“I share this information not to question our police department’s efforts, but to ask the board to listen to the residents who live on that street. The section where the speed limit increases from 25 to 35 miles per hour is where traffic begins to move faster — even I notice myself speeding up there without realizing it,” she said.
Pye described having to stand in the roadway to help her kindergartner cross the double yellow line each morning.
“Predictably, the children now play in the street, right by the intersection. Again, they are children. Do not expect them to behave otherwise,” Pye said. “Our concerns have been dismissed with a vague assurance that the stop was determined to be ‘safe.’ However, no one has cited a specific safety standard or algorithm used to reach that conclusion. Based on the recommendations, it seems that ‘safe’ simply means ‘it could be worse.’”
Parents urged the district to re-evaluate the decision and consider returning neighborhood-based stops once more bus drivers are hired. They also questioned whether the change was prompted by a driver shortage or cost-cutting measures.
“I do appreciate the communication from some board members, though I remain confused. One member told me the bus driver shortage is actually improving. If that is the case, why were these changes made this year?” Pye said. “Were these changes made because of a lack of drivers or for efficiency? Is there a plan to restore safer neighborhood bus stops once staffing improves? Or will this change become a permanent cost-saving measure? And if more drivers are needed to restore safer routes, what steps are being taken to hire them?”
Pye said the school-community “partnership” means that parents are holding the transportation department accountable for ensuring the safety of their children.
“And we are holding you, the school board, accountable for holding them to that responsibility,” Pye said.
Board members acknowledged the communication from residents but did not respond publicly during the meeting. Later during the meeting, the board unanimously approved the creation of three “jumper” substitute/flexible bus driver positions in Pennridge’s transportation department to cover busing routes as needed.
