The Brainerd School Board Monday approved a resolution to apply for a safe routes to school grant to help the district enhance safety within and around school zones.
Kala Henkensiefken, school transportation director, said the district has heard transportation concerns from several parents in the first six weeks of school, including parents asking the district for an exception on the one mile to walk to school policy.
Henkensiefken said the safe routes to school grant would be used to hire a transportation expert to look at ways on how the district could improve its transportation needs, such as new signage or reconstructing a sidewalk.
Henkensiefken said the district has made 1,632 student changes in transportation since Aug. 1. Henkensiefken said the changes include anything from people moving to adding a day care as a pick up or drop off site.
Henkensiefken said the transportation department also changed 31 bus routes. Henkensiefken said bus route changes are always necessary when a student changes their transportation information. Henkensiefken said the school had one bus that was overloaded in Nisswa and to correct the problem, they had to make changes to nine buses and it affected approximately 1,000 students.
Henkensiefken said the Transportation Committee discussed split households and the district has been trying to accommodate their needs. She said there are 984 split households in the district and they've only been able to help 20 households.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.
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