Rancho Bernardo parents want school bus service again

Some High Country West parents are trying to get school bus service reinstated in their area for students who will attend Bernardo Heights Middle School this fall.

Luanne Lohr, who has a seventh grader, and Teresa Backer, mom to a Turtleback Elementary fifth grader, are among those spearheading the effort. They are inviting parents in High County West and adjacent neighborhoods (including Camino Bernardo, The Villas and Deerwood), to informational meetings before Poway Unified School District’s May 6 deadline to sign up for bus service.

The gatherings will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26 and 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 25 in High Country West Club’s meeting room, 16003 Turtleback Road. RSVP at tbacker@gmail.com or 858-964-8462. More details are at tinyurl.com/HCWbus.

Lohr and Backer said for about 15 years their Rancho Bernardo neighborhood had bus service to Bernardo Heights Middle School and Rancho Bernardo High School. For Oak Valley Middle School to open in 4S Ranch in 2005, their students were transferred to that campus so it would have enough students.

They said that “invitation” to Oak Valley was rescinded in 2011 due to the growing student population in 4S Ranch. When their assigned school reverted to Bernardo Heights Middle School, bus service was not reinstated due to PUSD budget cuts.

This lack of buses has meant hardship for parents who say the campus is too far for their sixth, seventh and eighth graders to walk or ride bikes to, especially since Interstate 15 separates their homes from the campus.

Terri Ambrezewicz, PUSD’s transportation operations supervisor for regular education, said families in the eligible area were sent a survey letter last week. Ideally, at least 50 students must be interested for the district to establish the route.

“We prefer 50, because if (ridership) drops below 30 we may have to drop the service,” she said.

Lohr and Backer said they have at least 20 interested students already.

Ambrezewicz said bus service for 2016-17 will cost parents $575 for one student, $1,150 for two or $1,437.50 for three or more students in one family. If there is bus service, students who do not normally ride will have the option to pay $4 per one-way trip if an occasional need arises. She said the district works with parents who cannot pay the entire amount up-front.

She said High Country West lost bus service due to a district-wide streamlining after budget constraints almost eliminated the service entirely for all regular education students several years ago. District officials established transportation zones to determine which neighborhoods would be eligible, based on distance from campuses. This criteria allows for additional bus routes when there is enough interest, which is how High Country West might become eligible.

Ambrezewicz said there is a bus stop on Camino del Norte near the Deerwood apartments that a few students living there access. There is limited space on that bus for High Country West students, but Lohr and Backer said few parents are aware of the option. In addition, those students have an hour-long bus ride after school.

Ambrezewicz said Deerwood students would have a shorter ride if a High Country West route becomes reality since they would be switched to that route. She added that Rancho Bernardo High students are not be eligible due to their campus not having the same schedule as the middle school.

If parents have questions about signing up for bus service, they can call PUSD’s Bus Pass Department at 858-748-0010 ext. 2061.