SAUGUS — With the school year now in full swing for students, a petition has started on change.org to “Put Kids First.” The petition pertains to the busing situation at the schools following the FY26 Budget cuts.
These cuts were made to reflect the amount of funding the schools received from the town. The decision was made at Town Meeting, where a large number of students, teachers, the School Committee, and supporters showed up in hopes of a vote in favor of the school.
They were asking for Town Meeting to vote in favor of the budget approved by the School Committee over the budget suggested by the Finance Committee. In the end, the school didn’t receive the funds it was asking for. This led the committee to spend hours poring over the budget and making difficult decisions.
The petition outlines the situation, stating that it aims to restore safe busing in Saugus. It continues that the policy, as of right now, is that K-6 students located over 2 miles from the school will have buses, but those in grades 7-12 at the same distance will not. It continues that due to campus locations, 90% of students live within a 2-mile radius, leaving them ineligible for busing.
According to the petition, there are fewer than 10% of students riding the buses. Altogether, the petition labels that situation a “town safety problem,” not a “getting to school problem.” It continues to highlight that one in 10 kids are riding the bus and that those living 2 miles or less from the school are left with an “unsafe” walk. It also notes that the additional cars on the road cause gridlock and impact the whole town.
“Saugus’ 2-mile rule may look like a cost saver. In practice, it creates unsafe walks, thousands of extra car trips, and blocked emergency exits,” it states.
The petition states that by adhering to Massachusetts’ standard, which requires buses to be provided for K-6 students over two miles, the schools are not prioritizing the children.
In the end, the petition is asking for the School Committee to make a change to the current standard.
“Restore bus service so all Saugus students have a safe way to school,” “declare unsafe routes non-walkable,” and “use real world math: the ‘savings’ disappear when thousands of car trips jam roads and delay emergency response.”
