Director Stolz's motion was designed to provide a safe and smooth transition to walking at Willow Lane if need be depending on the outcome of walking studies by the District and the Township. Director Stolz is not up for election this year, so "pandering" for votes is not a valid argument. Ballard not only "bullied" Julian Stolz tonight. He also bullied Mrs. Donches (again) for attempting to include complete accounting codes in the bill list so she could perform due diligence. When students act like this in school, they are disciplined for bullying. It would be nice if our School Board could adhere to the codes of conduct they impose on our students.

i think if the willow lane parents so want busing for there children
they can help defray the costs of busing there kids by paying a little more in taxes remove my school taxes as i am a senior citizen let parents pick up the tab

I find it hilarious that those who dislike mr stolz views on matters and yet still sit on this school board take offence to his concerns and immediately say its political when those knuckleheads do this all the time. Mr Ballard sounds as if he's getting a little too crusty for this job and should maybe consider retirement. And for real, great comment, shoot the person that has the concerns of the children in mind, yeah, makes perfect sense. I think if you put a school board together if just fifth graders they would have better ideas than any of these crusty old men

It sounds like Ken Bacher had a reasonable argument against Stolz's motion: don't micromanage transportation policy to try to fix only Willow's issues (and I am a Willow parent who is affected by the current busing controversy). The school district and the township finally seems to be working in earnest on a safe and (long-term) cost-effective solution to the walking question at Willow with the ability to apply it to all other elementary schools in the district. I agree that it's too soon to declare the current joint efforts failed, so, regardless of motives, I think Stolz's motion was premature at best.

The hypocrisy is clear as day and Mr. Ballard hit it right on the head. Stoltz is pandering, plain and simple. He's always against extra spending unless it will help him get votes.

Ballard wants one thing - get the bussing eliminated ASAP and get the item off of his agenda. All we ever hear from the School Board, Teachers and Administration is that they want parents to be more involved. Here is a group of parents that has offered many times to find solutions, discuss the issues like adults, and actually be a part of the solution. Yet the Board has made clear they just want sheeple - not someone who actually will question them

Why is this issue so complicated. If they have side walks, flashers marking a 15mph school zone, well marked cross walks and crossing gaurds they walk if not they get bused. Problem solved, your welcome. These clowns should run for congress they would fit right in. they are more interested in arguing with each other instead of solving problems!

The board members who are labeled as "caring about the children education" by district employees seem to be nothing more than be a rubber stamp for whatever the administration wants. Whether it's more secrecy, tax increases, or irresponsible budget cuts. While the board members accused of being "conservative" (like it’s a bad word) seem be advocating for more transparency, like having public discussions about all the things that affect our children's education, from the budget to curriculum. Being a fiscal conservative doesn't mean you cut first and ask questions later. It means you make responsible cuts. If I remember correctly Ballard, Earnshaw, Fuller and Bacher voted for a budget that cut bussing in the first place, without any studies or safety plans in place. Now they are saying they need to do their due diligence? Where was the due diligence before? Why not reinstate bussing until the safety measures like ron mentioned above are in place? Mr. Stolz tried to prevent the bussing from being cut out of the budget last year. How is that pandering for votes in this year's election? Once again, people like "for real" are trying to rewrite history.

One more question. When was the transportation study completed? Stolz made the request for this motion to be put on the agenda a month ago. Were the school board directors given the study in time to review it and make an informed decision? If not, why? Since Fuller and Bacher said they wanted more time to review the study before voting maybe they should ask the superintendent how long the study was sitting on his desk.

Busing is not a right. It's an extremely expensive 5 million dollar luxury. The state doesn't reimburse for inside 1.5 miles. Don't like that? call State Rep. Ryan Mackenzine. It's very easy to give out an ENTITLEMENT but always very hard to take them away. Stolz should know this better then anyone.....

Whats good for the borough's is good for the suburbs which in alot of ways are much safer. The area around willow lane is practically a park. Bike paths are consistently 20 feet off the road. Think it's unsafe your welcome to drive your kid.

This taxpayer thanks Mr. Ballard et al.

If Stolz would have had his way this would have been voted on before the transportation study was complete at the last board meeting. How is that a good idea? Also, why are the kids in Emmaus and Alburtis being ignored? Political pandering is an understatement. Stolz will do anything to elect his tea party buddies.

Julian Stolz has been a cost cutter and now shows that he is not a mindless cost cutter. Too often School Boards rubber stamp administration.

The personal attacks by Mr. Ballard were uncalled for. Address the ideas not the person. If it is a good idea, do it. If not, don't do it.

Sometimes people you don't like have good ideas. It happens more often than we think and to attack motivations distracts from careful consideration on the merits.

I have known Julian for a long time and he is an exceptionally polite young man. Mr. Ballard's remarks were out of line and demand an apology.

The merits are something I can address because I don't live in the district and I don't have the facts. But I can address Mr. Ballard's efforts to personalize a policy issue and demonize a dissenter.

The president of the board -Charkes Ballard is far too old, cranky, and petulant for his position. I have been at mutliple school board meetings, and he always gets a kick out of wielding his authority and bullying any board member that raises a question counter to his opinion. He was also abrasive to a parent in attendance when she tried to speak as well. It is unfortunate that the board is merely trying to trim the budget and not listen to the concerns of the parents. It was refreshing to see Stolz continue to stand up for the cause he has been working for since the start- children safety - and not a line item budget slash. It's called sticking to your guns and making sure the safety plan is implemented properly, not pandering for votes. If you have not been at the meetings nor are familiar with the direct intersections and history of accidents there, you should become more informed before spouting out. What is the ETA on at least the flashing school zone signs at this school with dangerous intersections? And when is the expiration date on Ballard's term as president? I have had enough of his garbage.

Ballard takes his orders from the teachers union, and there is not enough money to pay the $1,000,000 increase in salaries, the $1,000,000 increase in pensions, and the $74,000 increase in administrative salaries. Who do these damn parents think they are to not sacrifice their kids?

If the school board is so concerned that we only bus students which qualify for state reimbursement, why in the world do we bus school athletes to sports events? We are not required by law to bus athletes to games (including JV and varsity, and middle school sports and all the after school activity buses). If we are really going to cut down on bus expenses, why do we bus school athletes to away games when it obviously has nothing to do with academics? Any students who participate in Lower Macungie Athletic Association provide their own transportation to all away games by having their parents drive them. And, if you are not there on time, you just sit out the first half of the game. So, parents get them there on time. There is a reason why we bus all athletes to all away games when it is not required by law. The school board has athletics as a priority over getting kindergarteners to school safely. Athletics are very important to the school board. They make that very clear, athletes are more important than those kindergarteners who should really walk 1.5 miles to school at five years old.

So it the self-righteous and insulting Mr. Ballard who is the political pandering, happily, increasing school costs (without any attendant increase in education results for the kids) rather than Julian Stolz who has shown he is not a cost cutting, heartless ideologue.

Mr. Ballard uses "literally" incorrectly. Maybe time for him to go back to school, charm school. :-)

The teachers union official position is to eliminate bussing in PA, so the 6 directors that voted to throw the kids under the bus are simply following union orders. The union has extensively supported 5 of those 6 directors, Pretty disgusting.

Rob, you are correct that the unions are out of control in our state, and therefore the kids and parents will get hurt. This is just the beginning. The last extension of the teacher contract was not given to the public online with any review period for citizens to read it. It is concealed pretty well, and never online. So, they can flush away millions in pork and benefits in the union contracts that nobody reads about or knows about, which is never online for public view. But, the transportation for young students, well that is something that they have been focused on for many board meetings, and a few years to cut costs. If they were this frugal when it came to the perks and benefits in the union contracts, we would not have over $160,000,000.00 in debt.

The state law requires all school districts to bus children- no matter how far and to any private schools- did you know that? Your tax monies are being spent to bus children to Bethlehem to catholic high schools or to Berks county. Now that is BS. We are sitting here arguing about 1/4 mile for busing kids for safety reasons when the state law should be changed now. Please EP residents talk to your state rep about changing the law. It is costing a hell of a lot of taxpayers money to bus children around a a three county area to private schools on my dime

@ Matt Private Schools get zero money from the state for anything. We have to write for grants. The issue is the 1.5 mile rule. If students are allowed to ride the bus over 1.5 miles in East Penn then private schools are included. End of story.

Willow is an exception. I have driven by several times at drop off and pick up and I would NOT want my child walking to or from that school.
Also this notion in previous comments about why do Charter School students get bus service? There parents pay taxes as well and if they are outside that 1.5 mile rule they get the service.
The notion of charging those residents whose children attend Willow more money to bus them is ridiculous and illegal. There is entirely too much traffic in that area. All it will take is one accident with one child and then all who are so adamant against busing can compare the price tags between a child's life and a bus ride.

I wonder if we all need to be reminded that whether you child goes to public or private school EDUCATION for these children who will be making policy when we are old & helpless like they are young & helpless now is imperative that we act with the greater good in mind...The children hear not enough money but salaries are high by any standard for PA...what amount of money will they vote to spend for the care of the elderly when it is their turn to make a budget???
Could we keep in mind that a budget is more than a measure of how we spend money...IT IS A MORAL DOCUMENT...what are we saying are our morals, ethics & human descency??? Do you know how disheartening this is to read???

Janet Persing I am confused by your remark. I do not understand your meaning??? Really not being contrary...You remark leaves not room for the random accident which is ineviditable in this situation with young children ice, snow, rain, overcast, cold, etc. People in a rush not paying attention etc. DANGEROUS potential being created that simply does not have to be the case. I trust the impacted people can work something out.
I wonder if the overpaid already in many cases AD MIN people will reject their raises & apply that money to the busing...they did increase the budget by more than the cut of busing for the raises...????

Garrett, great comment, and very appropriate. Follow the money, and it will show you the priorities of the school board. The priorities are with the union members and administrators having raises, large salaries and generous benefits which are very costly, not with the students or the parents.

Good point, Garrett Rhoads It is hard to think of 5,6 and 7 year olds walking to school in this cold. The wam and comfortable administrators took the kids' bus money. Disgraceful.

Good point, Garrett Rhoads It is hard to think of 5,6 and 7 year olds walking to school in this cold. The wam and comfortable administrators took the kids' bus money!. Disgraceful

The bus study is pretty clear. Nobody is asking for special treatment. However, currently, there are very, very few students in East Penn that live over .75 miles from an elementary school that actually are designated as walkers. It comes to only 41 students in the whole district if you add up every single elementary school walking students that are "walkers" that live between .75 and 1.5 miles from a school. It would cost nothing to bus these 41 students, since there is room on current buses. However, at Willow Lane, there are 341 students that live between .75 and 1.5 miles from the school. "Option #2" which is what it is called in the transportation study is clearly reasonable which would make .75 the new walking distance for the whole school district. The walking radius would be set at .75 miles for the whole district. Other school districts in our state have used .75 miles as a reasonable walking distance, and it is SOLELY at the discretion of the school board. Bacher is a fool with his comment about special treatment, or perhaps he did not bother to read the study, and what it said about "OPTION #2" which would be reasonable for the whole district, and was suggested by a parent. While 1.5 miles is absolutely too far, .75 walking radius is clearly reasonable, and other school districts have used this for a walking radius, this is a decision made by the school board, NOT THE STATE. http://www.eastpennsd.org/_pdfs/Transportation-Study-Presented-2-11-13.pdf

Sorry, but I don't understand your comment. I think "OPTION #2" means that .75 would be the maximum walking distance for the entire district, which is what some other school districts have decided upon. However, for roads labeled as dangerous roads, it is a case-by-case basis as I understand it. At least that is how I understand "OPTION #2". What is your understanding?

taxed and tired

Janet Persing – Great comment, also if one of them could comprehend the order at a 4 way stop I might get out of my non SUV and applaud

Charter Schools aren’t public; they are pilfering money from the public system instead of stepping in and helping the public system. They are biased toward the founders, friends and relatives, THEN lottery…what ever happened to diversity? Have your Charter school, but do it with your own money, not by taking it from kids who can’t get in.

Kids today are wimps compared to when I was a kid. I rode my bike like a maniac, ripped through traffic and did wheelies through the stop signs, and that was the norm (well… I exaggerated, not all kids could do a wheelie) oh and I didn’t die one time.

When I was a kid, I actually liked walking to school when it snowed; somehow we even had snowball fights and didn’t slip into hypothermia on the way. It might be possible and I say MIGHT, for the kids today with their gortex boots, north face jacket and iTunes earmuffs to make it too.

It speaks volumes to the priorities of people today that this bus topic generates sooo much dialogue. One may think you would care more about trying to get teachers on a full time schedule to match their full time salary. ESPD can’t even muster a full week let alone a full year.

In the meantime be glad your school wasn’t in Waiting For Superman.

Oh one more thing, after your kids come home with some dog doo on their shoes and it ends up all over the house…maybe you’ll start picking up the crap…or better yet...maybe one of the kids that realize they can walk...possibly even run will leave you a present burning on your porch.

JackL, Well Said!

Perhaps we can revisit the 4-way stop sign intersections--at both ends of Willow Elementary--that no one (from NY/NJ) knows how to navigate...and their kids are the ones in "danger" from their fellow NY/NJ. And I won't even address litter!
Thanks for bringing your lifestyle to us. Now you have to live in it.

Unfortunately, so do we, the natives. So, please clean up your mouth, act, and behavior. Quit whining and be responsible for your progeny. Teach them properly and the rest of civil society won't have a problem.