Monroe parents drive kids to games amid bus driver shortages
MONROE — Amid bus driver shortages in Connecticut, Jockey Hollow Middle School has been unable to find charter buses to bring students to sporting events.
The result is that since the return of all middle school sports last year, parents of local basketball players are bringing their kids, and sometimes their schoolmates as well, to away matches.
“Once you’re not providing busing to these things, and it has to be provided by parents, it could present a difficulty for students whose parents are working during the day and can’t drive them,” Principal Julia Strong said.
The problem persists in middle schools across the state. With buses unavailable until 4:15 p.m. for some school districts, high schools have scheduled games for evenings and weekends.
But that’s not an option for middle school games, which are less of a priority for gym space, says Robert Troesser, who coaches Jockey Hollow’s eighth grade girls basketball and cross country teams, along with a few Masuk High School sports programs.
It means parents end up having to drive kids to away games.
During a matchup this week against Fairfield’s Roger Ludlowe Middle School, Jockey Hollow’s eighth grade girl’s basketball team played at home. Even so, some of the team’s parents could be seen entering Monroe middle school’s gymnasium as late as the second half, filling the stands as the game progressed to a 44-28 Jockey Hollow victory.
Jillian Brennan, a technology project manager working from home, came in during the second quarter after finishing work. But for away games, she’s sometimes among parents volunteering to take players to games, changing her work hours in order to leave early.
“I normally work 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. I’ll log on at 7 a.m. and skip a lunch so I can get here to get my daughter to the games,” Brennan said.
Katie Bloom, a Monroe resident who teaches for the Westport school district, watched the game next to her. She said she’s had to rely on other parents to take her daughter to away games.
“My husband and I are both teachers so we actually end earlier,” Bloom said, who also missed a part of Thursday’s game. “And even with that, we still can’t get to the games or drive our kids because they’re so early.”
Jockey Hollow Middle School officials said staff told parents during tryouts last year that the school was unable to provide transportation for the season. During that time, Bloom was asked to list the names of parents who had permission to drive her daughter.
Troesser said none of the students on any of his teams left due to concerns over a lack of bus service. Still, he said a couple of students on the cross country team last year missed a meet after a carpool arrangement fell through at the last minute.
“It’s one too many times,”
Troesser said of the incident.
For Jockey Hollow’s eighth grade girls basketball team, parents said about four parents are regularly driving the program’s 11 players.
Cheryl Iannucci, another parent who owns a day care in Monroe, said she is driving players to games, but has been calling bus companies for help. She said the experience of players traveling to games together on a bus is important for morale.
“They have their music, they laugh, cry, talk about the game before getting each other pumped up,” Iannucci said.
But that wasn’t a reality for
Jockey Hollow’s opposition, either. On Thursday, Matthew and Liz Holcomb, parents of a Roger Ludlowe Middle School girls basketball player, sat on the bleachers after Liz drove five players to the game.
“We’re lucky that we both work from home and flexible, but the girls that she drove, their parents don’t have that luxury,” said Matthew Holcomb, a commodities trader.
For Liz Holcomb, though, a freelance copy editor, she’s making the most of the new responsibility.
“I like having kids in the car. I get to hear them shout,” Holcomb said.