Minuteman to Medford Bus to Arrive Earlier

Students from Medford attending Minuteman High School won't be have a lengthy wait for the bus after school anymore, according to Medford school officials.

Starting Oct. 1, a bus will arrive at the Lexington-based public regional high school at 2:30 p.m. -- the end of the school day -- to transport students home to Medford, according to an annoucement from the school deparment Tuesday.

Starting this school year, Minuteman students from Medford originally had to wait until 3:30 p.m. for a bus home after funding for transportation to the school was cut by the Medford School Department.

Initially, an MBTA pass was to be offered to students at the school, but after an outcry from parents, bus transportation was arranged. Medford Superintendent Roy Belson had previously said the regional school had been raising its rates at an "astonishing" clip, and that the school bus cut was part of negotiations over the state's formula for determining student fees for regional vocational schools.

The current plan bus service picks up Minuteman students in Medford in the morning, takes them to Lexington, then returns to Medford to run elementary school routes. The bus returns to Minuteman after running afternoon elementary school routes, but it isn't until about 3:30 p.m. most days. Under this plan, the district was set to save a projected $60,000 in transportation expenses.

The transportation plan was approved by the state, but it has been viewed as unacceptable by many Medford parents of Minuteman students who attended a school committee meeting earlier in September to air their concerns.

Mayor Michael McGlynn, chairman of the school committee, told the parents that school and city officials would have to review finances and speak with the bus company, as well as officials from Minuteman, in order to resolve the issue.

The city's bus provider, Eastern Busing Services, will be able to provide the earlier route at no additional cost to the city, according to the school department announcement.