Rockland POET, a grassroots organization co-founded by Rabbi Sinai Halberstam, Harry Grossman, and Andrea (Chanie) Jaffe, brought residents together for a community forum focused on the longstanding transportation problems affecting students attending non-public schools in the Suffern Central School District, giving parents and students an opportunity to describe their experiences firsthand while laying out concrete steps toward meaningful improvements.

The forum opened with Rabbi Halberstam providing a brief introduction to the transportation situation and the difficulties families face. Senator Weber then updated residents on the extensive work he has been doing on the issue, the progress already achieved elsewhere in Rockland County and the next steps he is pursuing for Suffern families.

Mrs. Jaffee spoke about the hardships families are experiencing and emphasized the importance of residents making their voices heard. She noted that people regularly attend public meetings to raise concerns about far less severe transportation problems and receive responses because they show up and advocate for themselves. She encouraged Suffern families to do the same and to make clear that the current busing situation is unacceptable.

Some of the evening’s most compelling testimony came directly from students.

One student described spending more than two hours a day on a bus, including lengthy trips to and from school on Fridays, without air conditioning, water or access to a bathroom. A high school student described arriving at school already exhausted from the commute, making it difficult to focus and have the energy necessary for the school day. After another lengthy ride home, she said she is drained before even beginning her homework.

“These are children telling us what they are experiencing every day, and we need to listen to them,” said Senator Weber. “A transportation system is supposed to get children to school safely and ready to learn. When students are spending excessive amounts of time on buses and arriving at school exhausted, we have an obligation to find a better way.”

Senator Weber discussed several constructive ideas for improving transportation, including a greater emphasis on regional busing and increased cooperation among neighboring school districts. Rather than districts operating independently while transporting students to many of the same schools and areas, Senator Weber said greater coordination could result in more efficient routes, better service for students and more responsible use of taxpayer dollars.

Senator Weber also rejected the idea that legitimate transportation problems should simply be dismissed because of cost.

“When the government decides something is a priority, it finds millions of dollars to fund it,” Senator Weber said. “We cannot then tell parents there is no money when we are talking about preventing children from spending unreasonable amounts of their day on buses. We should always be responsible with taxpayer dollars, but money cannot simply be used as an excuse for allowing children to continue suffering.”

Another major issue discussed was New York’s rigid April deadline for non-public school transportation requests. Senator Weber spoke about the need for greater flexibility and a system that better reflects the realities faced by families and schools. He is driving a broader effort at the state level and working to advance legislation aimed at addressing aspects of the current system rather than allowing outdated or inflexible requirements to stand in the way of workable transportation solutions.

The Suffern forum follows a significant breakthrough in Clarkstown, where Senator Weber has spent considerable time working with parents, school officials, transportation providers and community organizations to help facilitate a solution. After approximately two years of work involving numerous meetings, multiple agencies, a formal bidding process and several high-level approvals, a transportation arrangement was established for Yeshiva of Spring Valley students residing in the Clarkstown Central School District.

The arrangement, approved through the Rockland BOCES cooperative bidding process, utilizes IMS Transportation and was designed to accommodate Yeshiva of Spring Valley’s different schedule times. Senator Weber has credited Clarkstown Central School District Superintendent Dr. Marc P. Baiocco, district officials and transportation personnel, Rockland BOCES, and the many other individuals and communal organizations who devoted significant time and effort to making the arrangement possible.

“Clarkstown showed us that these problems are not impossible to solve,” Senator Weber said. “It took a tremendous amount of work, persistence and cooperation, but people came together and found a way forward. I am extremely pleased for the Clarkstown parents who waited so long for this, and now we need to bring that same determination to Suffern.”

Senator Weber made clear that the forum was intended to drive action, not simply provide another venue to discuss problems families have been raising for years. He plans to meet with the Suffern Central School District to bring forward the concerns raised by residents and students and discuss possible solutions. At the same time, he will continue pursuing regional transportation concepts and state legislation aimed at addressing broader problems with the existing system.

By the conclusion of the forum, residents expressed a sense that they had been heard and also shared that they felt a greater confidence that Senator Weber was actively pursuing constructive solutions. The discussion provided families with more than an acknowledgment of their frustrations. It gave them a clearer picture of the agenda the Senator is driving at the district, regional and state levels.

“Parents and students did exactly what they needed to do. They showed up, spoke up and made clear what they are dealing with,” Senator Weber said. “I want them to know that I hear them, and more importantly, I am working on constructive solutions. We are going to meet with the district, continue pushing for greater regional cooperation and advance legislation at the state level. The objective is not another conversation about why things cannot change. It is figuring out what needs to be done to make them better.”

The recent Clarkstown accomplishment provides a model for the persistence Senator Weber intends to bring to Suffern, where families have struggled with transportation issues for years.

“Clarkstown demonstrated what can happen when you keep the process moving and get the right people working toward a solution,” Senator Weber said. “Suffern is the next major challenge, and I intend to keep driving this effort. There is more work ahead, but these families deserve more than explanations about why something cannot be done. They deserve people working together to figure out how it can be done.”