As many as 200 additional vehicles are expected at daily arrival and dismissal times
By John Tredrea
Due to controversial changes in school busing policy, as many as 200 additional vehicles are expected at the Timberlane Middle School-Central High School campus at daily arrival and dismissal times once school starts next week.
The 200-vehicle estimate is posted on the Hopewell Valley Regional School District’s Web site. School begins Sept. 6.
Parents of Timberlane and Central High students who are "not riding buses are encouraged to drop off their children between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. before the majority of the buses enter the bus loop," the Web site says.
Beginning this year, the district will not bus any elementary students who live less than two miles from school or any secondary (grades six-12) students who live less than two and a half miles from school. The district does offer subscription busing to those students at a cost of $150 per year. The average cost of busing a student for the school year is about $500, school officials said.
Among those who no longer can ride the bus, unless their families pay the subscription rate, are all Timberlane and Central High students who live in Pennington. To walk to school, they must cross Route 31 at the signalized West Delaware Avenue intersection. That busy intersection is in Pennington, just east of the Hopewell Township border, and a Pennington policeman will be posted at the intersection each day before and after school.
In addition, the amount of time that the Delaware Avenue-Main Street intersection is covered by a crossing guard will be increased in order to accommodate Central High and Timberlane students.
At Monday night’s Hopewell Township Committee meeting, township Administrator-Engineer Paul Pogorzelski said that, in addition to more cars, significantly more pedestrians may be on the scene at the middle school and high school each day as a result of the discontinued busing.
Mr. Pogorzelski said township officials have been conferring with police and school officials on the best way to handle this situation.

