BOE Member on Anger at 64 Buses Parked at WMS: “We’re in this situation because of the budget cuts”

Thursday’s meeting of the Greenwich Board of Education featured an outpouring of complaints from PTA leaders that school buses continue to be parked at Western Middle School.

The buses are parked in the grass field and blacktop area typically used by children at recess at.

There is also the issue of bus drivers – 26 or 27 on Thursday – parking personal vehicles in a staff parking lot despite being instructed not to.

Buses parked at Western Middle School. Sept 13, 2025

During public comment, Grace Natale, co-president of the WMS PTA described the situation as untenable.

She said unlike the situation with buses parked at Greenwich High School, there were 64 buses at WMS where they enter and exit through narrow, congested streets in a densely developed neighborhood.

“This is a huge traffic and safety nightmare for WMS students riding their bicycles, staff, families and the surrounding neighborhood,” Natale said, adding that recess is no longer able to be held safely on the grass or blacktop.

“It’s having a secondary impact on our PE classes, that must now share use of the turf field with these lunch recess blocks,” she added.

Finally, she asked the district to prioritize the extra 10-15 buses unrelated to WMS that come and go while students are being dropped off and picked up.

“We’re in this situation because of the budget cuts.” – BOE member Kathleen Stowe

Dr. Jones addressed the bus issue in her monthly report, saying bus drivers were not supposed to park their personal vehicles in the staff parking lot, and had moved their cars when asked.

She explained that because of start time and tiering, all the bus routes had to be redone this year.

“Some of these drivers have been with us for years, driving the same route,” she said. “It’s totally new routes.”

Jones said the situation was improving and the volume of emails had decreased significantly.

“As far as when we will be able to move to a (parking) lot, we all wish it was yesterday. We have a real estate professional helping us locate a lot and we have some they are looking at right now, I’m hoping it happens sooner than later, but I cannot give you a definitive time.”

BOE chair Karen Hirsh suggested breaking the buses into small groups and parking them in town owned lots.

Someone joked that the meeting had turned to a guessing game as people threw out suggestions for bus parking – Stop & Shop in Stamford (the owners said no, twice), Tesla in Stamford (they also said no), and even Tod’s Point (causeway is too narrow and access is through a private association).

“There are some leads for lots,” Jones said, adding that over the summer they had been hopeful a deal could be made to park buses at the shuttered Stop & Shop in Stamford, but the request had been declined twice.

She noted owners of lots at vacant commercial spaces didn’t want to disrupt potential plans for redevelopment.

Kathleen Stowe said, “It’s important to remember, we were forced into this situation…We are always on the receiving end of the anger. …We chose these start times because it was the only way we could optimize the utilization of the buses, which leads to less money.”

“We’re in this situation because of the budget cuts,” Stowe said.

Jones said the town had helped by offering space to park buses at the Old Greenwich train station.

“We are all working on it every single day,” Dr. Jones said.

She reminded the board bus services was also provided for private school students.

“It has impacted them – all the children in town,” she said.

Ms Hirsh asked about overcrowding on some buses. Dr. Jones said more students were getting on buses than were registered.

“There are three (buses) we’re watching. One has 47 students but more students are getting on the bus. If a student is standing there you have to let them on the bus. You’re not going to drive past and leave them there because they’re not on a list.”

She said the situation was being address to determine which buses are oversubscribed.

“If we need to add a bus, we will. I believe we’re up to 4 buses we’ve added back in,” she said, adding that additional buses don’t only reflect number of passengers.

“Sometimes…up in back country, try to get down to Western you just can’t pick up that many students because the houses are so far apart. We had to add a bus at Western for a reason like that.”

During public comment, Frances Wu Nobay, PTAC facilities committee chair, described the situation as a disruptive struggle.

“We’re all in favor of optimizing bus routes, but the ongoing schedule changes are resulting in buses turning around in mid-route, not following routes, and arriving inconsistently. What funding is needed to restore busing to the prior level of service?” Nobay asked.

Nobay described the buses parking in the grass and on the blacktop as salt on an open wound. “Add add to that fumes, traffic, noise, oil leaks and 27 bus drivers using very limited staff parking is wholly unacceptable.”

Lisa Sylvester, PTA Council president, said the solution might be additional buses.

“We are all aware that the bus parking is an ongoing issue, that it’s a particularly disruptive and an intrusive issue at WMS where it’s impacting traffic, parking and the students’ lunch routines,” Sylvester said.

She said while she appreciated Dr. Jones email to WMS families earlier in the day,”We are asking that the district please find a fix even sooner than ‘as soon as possible.'”