With only one car between four family members, sophomore Lauren Estrada struggles to make it to afterschool tutorials. But when she heard about a late bus taking students home at 4:50 p.m., Estrada and her brother jumped at the opportunity.
Late buses have been introduced to let students like Estrada stay after school for tutoring. The buses will run on Tuesdays and Thursday the last two weeks of every six weeks, offering a way home for students who otherwise could not receive the help they need.
“It was really cool,” said Estrada, who used the tutorial time to bring up in her World History class. “I wish they had it more often not just at the end of the six weeks, kids really need it.”
In the trial run, more than 100 students utilized the new bus system on both its first and second trips, Oct. 2 and 4. Because of the number of students who utilized the buses Principal John Graham has decided to continue the program.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Graham said. “We know that students can’t always come early or stay late to get extra help. This opportunity will help to improve learning.”
The idea was suggested by assistant principal Brandon Evans who had experience with the system at a previous school. After receiving multiple complaints from teachers about how some of their students really needed tutoring but didn’t have transportation available, Evans brought the idea to Graham assuring him he believed it would be successful on this campus.
“Students don’t always have ways to make it – parents work, they have no ride and they just can’t make it here,” Evans said. “If we supply them with a ride, they will take advantage of it. It is expensive, but well worth it.”
It costs $400 per day to run four buses for the afterschool tutorials, a price tag of $9,600 for the year. Based on the initial attendance numbers, administration feels strongly the expense is worth it.
“As long as buses are provided they will ride,” assistant principal Heather Frith said. “I think that if we had a bus every day, they would ride it. It is a need.”
For a copy of the tutorial bus schedule, click here.
