Dear Putnam Valley Community:
It has been a pleasure to see your children return to our buildings. They are enthusiastic and their energy is contagious.
We appreciate your willingness to work with us to ensure a safe arrival at our schools, particularly with our new routes and the high school later start. We are seeking the safest and most efficient process. We continue to consider all approaches to allow the car line at our High School/Middle School campus to move more efficiently.
We are aware of some issues with the bus contractor’s preparedness for our opening and we can assure you that we are addressing all issues and concerns. As you know, there is a significant shortage of drivers through the region, and we have been attempting to help the company recruit drivers. We learned today that recruitment efforts, although ongoing, have been positive and we are hopeful to have more consistency in the near future.
Montauk Bus Company will use Monday and Tuesday, since schools are closed, to have their new drivers on the roads to become more familiar with the routes so we can have a smooth start on Wednesday.
Our number one priority is to get all students to and from school safely and as efficiently as possible. School District buses are the best way to do this. If your family is not already taking advantage of District transportation, we encourage you to do so.
As a reminder, please review and verify contact information in PowerSchool. For our Elementary School families especially, please help us with dismissal by sharing dismissal changes in writing, as early as possible. Standing dismissal plans do not carry over from year to year. Please send any necessary updates to the main office.
Thank you for your continued patience as we get through these first few days of school.
Sincerely,
Dr. Frances Wills
Superintendent of Schools