Some parents of children attending Steel Valley middle and high schools will be seeking alternative methods of getting the students to class later this spring.

Beginning April 4, the Port Authority will discontinue the 55D West Run-Brierly Lane and 61F Homestead Park bus routes as part of the agency's Transit Development Plan. According to Steel Valley Superintendent William Kinavey, about 60 students from both the middle and high school use Port Authority service to get to and from school.

Resident Gerry Hawkins asked the school board last week if anything can be done to help those students affected make it to school in a safe manner should no bus service be available.

"This has been reported all through the media," Ms. Hawkins said of the service changes in Homestead, Munhall and West Homestead. "I know we do not have school buses in the district."

Board officials said they planned to contact Port Authority to explore possible alternative transit options for affected students.

"I think that we should definitely have a meeting with the Port Authority to see what we can do," school director Michael Terrick said. "We need to give the parents tools that can help secure some kind of transit to school for their children."

Mr. Terrick said district-provided school buses for the students would be cost prohibitive.

"I do think if we can create a public/private partnership, we could make something available," he added. "Why can't we coordinate with another entity for something like this?"

Many of the district's middle and high school students walk to school from their homes, Dr. Kinavey said.

Port Authority's systemwide revision is the result of two-plus years of planning and public feedback. The agency said the changes implemented were aimed at providing improved service and better choices for their riders.

According to the agency's website, riders that used the soon-to-be discontinued 55D and 61F routes can use the 53F Homestead Lincoln Place or the 55M Century III Mall buses as alternative routes.

"The 53F will still serve the high school and middle school," Port Authority public relations director Jim Ritchie said. "We've been getting a lot of questions from those in other school districts that are facing similar situations."

Public workshops were hosted throughout the region by the agency regarding the pending transit changes in the summer of 2008, including one at CCAC South campus in June of that year. The workshops were geared toward giving residents of the region a chance to voice their opinion on how the new routes should be configured.

The first round of these changes will be in place in early April. Additional changes will take place in the summer.

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