By Abby Kass
Twenty-two. This is the number of school districts that TLS students travel from to get to school every day. Because of this large number of school districts, TLS transportation staff have to work extra hard to ensure that students can be transported to and from school, and they communicate with various districts to organize bussing of students that live all around New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
Deanna Koski is an operations associate in charge of communicating with districts for bussing at TLS. She not only figures out where all students are coming from but also talks with bus companies.
“It’s a lot of putting addresses into maps, and seeing where everyone is in relation to each other,” Koski said. “And then putting them into groups to see what would be the fastest [way] to get everyone to school. [then] You have to look at the different bus companies that are willing and able to transport from all of the different areas. So, it’s a lot of coordinating with them. It’s a lot of communication.”
Because students are coming from all around the tri-state area, some challenges arise when coordinating transportation from them.
“Sometimes, there are people that might not live close to others,” Koski said. “So, you have to see what would be the most effective way to get them to school if they don’t live near another student. And then, determining the times based on allowing you to sleep in but also getting here on time. It’s a little bit of a juggling act”.
Over the summer, before school starts, Koski, along with the rest of the transportation staff, begin to plan for transportation in the upcoming school year.
“We have a calendar that goes out to all the districts,” Koski said. “I coordinate with all of them, specifically about certain days. For example, with holidays where we’re open but the district isn’t, we have to notify parents that the district won’t be operating those days.”
Speaking of calendars: because TLS is a private, Jewish school with a slightly different calendar than public schools, that factors into transportation arrangements, but not as much as you may think.
“Working in a private school, it doesn’t typically make a huge difference,” Koski said. “Although, working with other public schools in the area that provide transportation to us, sometimes the schedules conflict. So, we have to be able to find a happy medium on how to transport the students”.
Sophomore Simeon Arnowitz typically travels thirty to thirty-five minutes to and from school each day. Although this number may seem long, there are students that travel even longer to and from school.
“Definitely some students travel too long to and from school,” Arnowtiz said. “It’s hard to say how Leffell can prevent these times, and part of it is the start and end times of school. But it’s also the bus companies and their coordination”.
Part of the reason that TLS is transporting students from so many districts is that they want to include as many families in their community.
“Because Leffell incorporates a lot of communities, it definitely complicates transportation,” Arnowitz said. “But, I see why they do it because there are not that many Jewish schools around. The next closest Jewish school besides Leffell to you could be an hour away”.