PTSA co-presidents email to Superintendent Shuldiner, Dr Campbell and others to address busing issues at JAMS
From: karen murphy
Date: Tue, Sep 22, 2026 at 8:55 AM
Subject: Transportation Issues at Jane Addams Middle School
To: Benjamin Shuldiner, Campbell, Marni A, Tyler J Hamilton, Transportation department, Steve M Richard
Cc: Jane Addams Main Office, President@jamsptsa.org, Angela M Thomas
On behalf of the students and families of Jane Addams Middle School, we are reaching out regarding bus transportation problems that have affected many of our students.
While it’s understandable that buses may run late at the start of the year as everyone settles into new routines, we’ve seen much bigger issues than that. Buses haven’t consistently shown up for after-school pickup, have taken the wrong routes, arrived more than an hour late in the morning, and dropped students at the wrong stops in the afternoon. Families have spent many hours on hold with transportation. They’ve sent emails and Let’s Talk messages that went unanswered. Some have contacted the Zum bus yard themselves. They’ve tracked buses and learned routes so they could provide feedback and help make them more efficient and reasonable. Parents have driven students to and from school and put together last-minute carpools just to make sure kids get where they’re supposed to be. Some students have ended up walking home, including across busy major roads such as Lake City Way.
As a reaction to what we have heard from families at Jane Addams, the PTSA collected feedback on both school bus experiences and communication with the district regarding bussing issues. We had 40 responses. Please see attached document for complete responses. (Clearly this is not a complete picture from all bus using families- responses were all in English and provided by those with the time and ability to reply.)
Here are some highlights from the feedback on bus routes:
-Bus 485 – Three kids squished to a seat
-Bus 486 – Consistently late
-Bus 487 – Regularly on time
-Bus 490 – Driver not following route
-Bus 488 and 491 recently addressed but unclear if all issues have been settled.
Some of the feedback we received regarding communication:
– No communication when the bus is late or delayed.
– Communication/Instructions from the transportation department was that there would be automatic phone calls made if the bus is more than 15 minutes late and to call the phone number provided if the bus is more than 20 minutes late.
– No phone calls received and no one answers the phone when called.
– I had to find out about the app through another parent. No information shared with parents about bus check in/check out policy.
-“We had to work out most things ourselves. It would have been helpful to have had more communication on the tools available and who to contact with questions/concerns”
Families are trying to work with the district and the bus company to solve these issues but some families are not being heard. Not everyone has the ability to stay on hold for hours, to send emails that will not be replied to or to drive their student to/ from school. Families should be able to rely on the transportation that they have been promised and they should know that their concerns will be heard.
We look forward to hearing more about how these issues will be resolved.
Karen Murphy
Jason Beardriel
JAMS PTSA Co-Presidents