Parents Protest Perth Amboy’s Decision to Cancel School Busing

Perth Amboy parents are protesting after the school district decided to cancel courtesy transportation for several classes and programs.

After student drop-offs and pick-ups on the first day of school turned local roads into parking lots, parents expressed their concerns outside City Hall.

Many chanted “¡Queremos transporte!” which means “We need transportation!” or: “¿Dónde está el dinero?” – “Where is the money?”

The district previously offered free school busing for all grade levels, but this year that service was eliminated. Traffic jams caused by the extra cars caused some students to arrive late for their first day.

“The cut-off time is 8:35 a.m., and I ended up dropping him off at 8:55 a.m.,” parent Aneudys Peralta said.

“I’ve never had to take 30 minutes to drop my child off at school,” said mother Martha Rodriguez. “I’ve seen little kids walk long distances.”

Parents say they didn’t learn that courtesy transportation within a two-mile radius of K-8 schools had been canceled until a week before classes were set to start.

“I’m going to have to be late to work every day,” Peralta said. “How many times can they use that excuse: ‘Oh, I’m late again because I’m taking my kid to school?’”

Thursday’s protests took place outside City Hall. Mayor Helmin Caba responded by saying pedestrian safety was a top priority, but ultimately it was a district decision.

News12 reached out to the district multiple times for comment and did not receive a response.