A "short-term solution" to Newtown's bussing issues is being worked on according to Superintendent of Schools Chris Melillo. The superintendent briefed district families on the latest developments in a January 27 letter.

The update followed discussion at the Board of Education's meeting the prior evening that will result in the board dispatching a letter to state officials about the transportation situation. Melillo also told the board he and First Selectman Dan Rosenthal were planning to meet with All-Star Transportation representatives on January 27.

All-Star is Newtown's primary school transportation provider.

The school board's letter is expected to be edited before being sent to state officials. A more in-depth report about the January 26 meeting will appear in the February 3 print edition of The Newtown Bee.

Melillo's letter to families follows:

Dear Newtown Families,

We are working with the bus company to combine existing routes as a short-term solution to our bus driver shortage. By next week we will have identified the buses and routes that will be altered and changes will take effect beginning Monday, February 6.

We will ensure that all parents and students are made aware of these changes by next week so you will have ample time to adjust your schedule.

We currently have drivers that are enrolled in classes and we are hoping to have them licensed as soon as all of the requirements are met. The licensing process does take several weeks and we appreciate your patience as we continue to work on this problem. If you are interested in being a bus driver, classes start on January 30. Please see the link for the job application: all-startransportation.com/application.

Currently, we are extending our survey (January 30) to ascertain which families are choosing to transport their children to and from school and at the high school level which students are choosing to drive to school. The purpose of this survey is to see if we would be able to consolidate routes (parent choice) further by accounting for families opting for personal transportation. You may find a link to the survey here: docs.google.com/forms/d/1PVyZNBuY-B1JXXapBa2U4ItSwgAvlvTiXXESqLMkHQ0/viewform?edit_requested=true.

I am in contact with the Connecticut Commissioner of Education, Charlene Russell-Tucker. We are exploring ways to receive transportation assistance and remove licensing delays with the Department of Transportation.

I will continue to keep you up to date with information as it comes available and we work to solve this problem and ensure that our families have safe and reliable transportation to and from school.

I am very cognizant of how unreliable transportation negatively impacts your household and it is my responsibility to address these barriers so that our families get what they need. Thank you for your continued support in this matter, and I apologize for the disruptions and stress this has caused you and your family.

Sincerely,

Chris Melillo

Education Editor Eliza Van can be reached at eliza@thebee.com.