For many families, the school bus is a lifeline that makes daily schedules possible. But for Stacie Smail, the long ride her 4-year-old son Porter faces each afternoon has turned into a source of stress. At Monday night’s Iola USD 257 school board meeting, Smail urged board members to reconsider bus routes for preschoolers, saying the commute times are too much for such young children.
“He loves preschool,” said Smail, introducing Porter. “He’s a little guy, as you guys can tell. He went to 3-year-old preschool last year, and we’re very excited to sign him up for 4-year-old preschool this year.”
But that excitement is being overshadowed by transportation challenges. Smail explained she and her husband both work full-time jobs and rely on the bus system to get Porter to and from school and daycare in LaHarpe.
Two days before the start of the year, Smail received a call from the bus driver who would be bringing Porter to school. She was told his morning ride would take about 40 minutes, which she felt was manageable. However, the next day she learned his return trip would take an estimated hour and 40 minutes.
This week, Smail said her son’s ride home has been reduced to about an hour, but she’s unsure whether that change simply shifted the longer wait onto other families.
SMAIL SAID she knows other parents have also raised concerns.
The district runs multiple bus routes for preschoolers in the morning and midday, but only one route in the afternoon. That leaves the youngest students with the longest rides.
While district staff have been working to adjust the route, Smail said the issue has already impacted her family. “I’ve had to take off work every single day,” she said. “It’s really impacted my job to transport him myself.”
She emphasized the strain such long commutes place on preschoolers, especially given their short school day.
“Class sizes are about 8 to 10 for preschool, and 30 minutes of their three-hour day is lunch,” she said. “If you add that amount of time together on the bus, you’re equal to a whole school day. But sitting down on the bus without potty breaks and those types of things, it just seems like a long time to ask.”
Smail added that while she understands transportation is complicated — with funding, staffing, and logistical challenges — the reality is that her family has lost 8 to 12 hours a week of work time to make up for the issue.
“I just wanted to share that perspective from the parents’ side and advocate for the kids, because they’re pretty little,” she told the board.
USD 257 Transportation Director Aaron Cole addressed the matter in a follow-up phone interview Tuesday morning, noting that he had spoken directly with Smail.
Cole said the initial estimate overstated the time it would take to bring Porter home.
“It actually ended up being 45 to 50 minutes, depending on how many kids were riding. I feel like that’s a very reasonable time for him to be on the bus.”
Cole explained that Porter’s daycare in LaHarpe is one of the last stops on the route.
