Here in USD503, we are only a few short miles in any direction from rural schools who are bussing in most of the kids from farm areas. As long as I can remember, these other schools, mostly Altamont 506, have always had busses come to our town and haul Parsons kids to their schools.

I never have understood this. All this time I thought this was normal and customary everywhere. Apparently not.

I have never liked the fact that they come pick up our kids. It harms our own school system. Don't we get paid by the body count? We are in the process of a major (expensive) school renovation. We need the money!

Furthermore, what the real issue for many area parents is racism. Many of the middle and upper class white parents do not want their precious going to school with those awful black people. USD 506 has a policy that it does not accept "disciplined problemed" students from out of district. This is double-speak for: "We can't admit that we will take your white daughter to try to keep her away from black boys."

Now we are stopping this one pick-up spot, but there are at least 3 or 4 more spots that I know of. I want them stopped also. I commend Dr. Perbeck and the school board for finally taking on this issue!

Parsons school district closes USD 506 bus stop in town

By Colleen Surridge

Parsons Sun

Parents of Meadow View Grade School students who were dropping their children off and picking them up at bus stops on the grounds of the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center no longer have that option, and parents are not happy.

Parent Jeff Sexton, whose child catches a bus to Meadow View at the PSHTC, told the Parsons Board of Education Tuesday that the USD 506 buses have been running that route for anywhere from 11 to 20 years with no opposition from USD 503.

Without the PSHTC bus stops as an option, Sexton said, a number of young children will have to be left at bus stops elsewhere for 30 to 45 minutes, where they will be exposed to the elements, as well as other possible dangers, before their bus arrives.

Superintendent Deborah Perbeck said although it has apparently been going on for years, the district had no knowledge of USD 506 entering 503 territory without permission until the district office was notified last week.

Once notified, Perbeck said a letter was sent to USD 506 to tell it to stop picking up students in 503 territory. She said USD 506 officials asked for a week to find a solution, but no other correspondence has taken place.

Sexton said mature, level-headed adults could surely reach some agreement, until parents could come up with some sort of solution.

USD 503 board member Sam Blubaugh said since 1993 the USD 503 board has looked to the state law that pertains to one district entering another's territory to pick up children.

"Unfortunately, this has gone on without our knowledge," Blubaugh said.

While USD 503 could grant USD 506 permission to enter its territory, as the decision is up to each district, Perbeck said it has remained Parsons' policy for more than 14 years not to allow other districts to cross into its territory.

Perbeck recommended that Sexton, and the other concerned parents he represented, to approach the USD 506 Board of Education about adjusting its bus schedule to work out picking up students from their homes or an alternate site nearby.