Rock Hill schools change bus routes for alternative programs

Starting this week, students who attend Rock Hill’s alternative schools will be bused directly to school and back home each day, rather than making stops at the schools from which they have been suspended or expelled.

No longer will high school students assigned to Renaissance Academy or middle school students assigned to the Rebound Alternative Program ride buses to their former schools and then take a bus to the district’s Flexible Learning Center off Albright Road, where both programs are located.

The school district will pay for the additional cost of the new bus routes with money budgeted for programs for “at-risk” students.

The school board voted Monday night to make the change after board member Walter Brown asked whether the district was violating state law by providing transportation to expelled students.

Brown said the administrative policy that allowed bus transportation to the Flexible Learning Center was “done without the board’s knowledge.”

“Something is wrong with this program,” he said.

Kathryn Long Mahoney, the school board’s attorney, advised the board in a written opinion that the students at Rebound had been expelled but given the opportunity to re-enroll at Renaissance, a “wrap-around” program that addresses both behavioral and education issues.

“Under the circumstances, however,” Mahoney said, “I suggest you consider whether it is advisable for the (Renaissance) students to be transported to their home school and home from their home school with the students from their home school, since it would be difficult to supervise them, and that would create a liability for the district.”

Based on her discussions with Mahoney, Superintendent Kelly Pew said, the Rebound program was included in that opinion.

Despite that recommendation, Brown continued to maintain that the school district was violating state law by busing students in the alternative programs. He said he had “little compassion” for some of the students who came to Renaissance, because they “had every opportunity to improve their behavior, make the right choices and they failed.”

Other school board members saw it differently.

“I guess I have too much compassion, love and understanding for the generation to come,” board member Mildred Douglas said. “These are immature children who must not be punished by not allowing them to ride the bus.”

“We are in the business of (providing) education, not denying it,” board member Helena Miller said. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”

This story was originally published October 12, 2015 at 11:19 PM with the headline "Rock Hill schools change bus routes for alternative programs."