Bus routes unchanged in Pingree Grove

The school bus routes through a Pingree Grove subdivision that Community Unit District 300 officials pledged to modify remained untouched Monday - the tentative date changes were scheduled to take effect.

Parents say the bus routes in the Cambridge Lakes subdivision are as dangerous as ever, with up to 40 students waiting at one time for stops along the community's main thoroughfare.

District officials now say redesigned routes will be implemented within the next two weeks.

Last month, district officials said changes would be made to some bus routes for the 800 Cambridge Lakes students who attend Wright Elementary School in Hampshire. Pingree Grove police said backups along Wester Boulevard could prevent emergency vehicles from passing.

At the start of the school year, the district and its bus contractor, Durham School Services, moved many stops from side streets to Wester Boulevard, a main route through the subdivision.

Marianna Pantelin, a parent leading the charge against the new bus routes, said parents were growing increasingly frustrated with the district's inaction.

"Don't tell me if a child's safety is a matter that nothing can be done in three weeks," Pantelin said. "Parents are more than frustrated. We are severely disappointed that our tax dollars are being used in a way that is not providing a safe environment for our children."

District spokeswoman Allison Strupeck said officials have reviewed proposals from Pingree Grove police, but a number of factors delayed the changes.

"The start of the school year is always a challenging time with the district trying to make significant adjustments to bus routes," Strupeck said.

The police proposal, she said, included stops within construction zones, while others did not provide any place for students to stand.

The district also typically experiences an influx of students after the Labor Day weekend, Strupeck said, and changing one route can cause a domino effect for other routes.

"It's not just a matter of changing one route and voila, problem solved," Strupeck said. "Cambridge Lakes is a very large subdivision and by changing one route you can anticipate a butterfly affect throughout the system."