Shared parenting complicates busing decisions

            I am very upset about how my situation regarding transporting my son from Eastpoint to Apalachicola was handled. I received a phone call on Oct. 5 from the bus barn regarding this situation, with specific instructions from Superintendent Nina Marks and the Director of Transportation Robert Coursey for my son not to be transported from one site to another.

            As me and my ex-husband have 50/50 parental time sharing and so do many other parents, this has been an issue on the rise. My ex husband had sent me an email stating for me “Not to put our son on a bus again,” but for the best interest of our child, on my scheduled time he needs to be in Apalachicola on certain days of the week.

            I had called the superintendent immediately after receiving the news pertaining to my son. She has yet to return my messages and she refused to see me when I went to speak with her in person about this ordeal. I was embarrassed at how rude Charlotte Smith, the superintendent’s secretary, was and how short Mr. Coursey spoke with me on the phone. He stated that “He did not want to go against the code of conduct,” which is irrelevant to this situation for the fact that my son does not normally get on a bus or ride a bus to begin with.

            I had already spoken to Mr. Coursey in the beginning of September about this matter, and he was very cooperative about it as long as there was a note to reinsure my son’s safety for the teachers and the drivers as well. I am upset because neither one of them have any information pertaining to our custody case, just what my ex husband has said to them and his family within the school system.

            So, instead of Nina Marks meeting with me, she handed out to the school board secretary a memorandum about a workshop for transportation issues dated for Nov. 12, a whole month away. This is a situation about a child which should not be addressed a month away, but immediately! They want me to wait until then to answer any questions, give any reason as to why, or to discuss the matter with me.

            As I did find out later that day, Nina had already spoken with my ex husband Richard Smith about this matter (how ironic), and would not be discussing it further until Nov. 12. What happened to my constitutional right? What happened to my right as parent to give authority to my child?

            Mr. Coursey stated that he did have authority to transport or not to transport my child if he decided. This is discrimination; he is refusing to transport my child with all the other children who get transported. All of these people named were extremely rude to me whether it be on the phone or in person. Shouldn’t the concern be about the children?

            Some people have stated that my situation is complicated; well I am here to say that it is not rocket science. I am very displeased with the school system, I am very sorry that my child has to be a part of this school and the people behind it, I am sorry for trusting in you and not being able to call you the reason for the change in my child.

            With this matter, you have failed, you have failed to support, reason, justify, compromise, or even face your situation, you ran…Yes, I will be attending the workshop, but as a parent, I should not have to wait this long for answers pertaining to my child or from the people that work around my child in the schools.

            I hope that this situation can be a focal point for some, and for some a solution to a problem that was on the rise for awhile. Now, we just need someone that can support us and help us resolve this issue as we know now, the ones we can trust and the ones we can not trust!

            Pamela Smith