WASHINGTON — Schools open Wednesday in Prince George’s County, Maryland. But on Monday, parents at one county charter school were told that there won’t be any bus service this week.
The Turning Point Academy, a K-8 public charter school in Lanham, posted a message on its website explaining that transportation would be “suspended” until Monday, Sept. 11. The school’s website didn’t explain why the bus service would be unavailable but referred parents to the transportation provider, Exquisite Limousine Service, in Clinton.
A woman who answered the phone for Exquisite said that bus service would not be available because a needed certificate had not been obtained, but she declined to explain further. It’s unclear whether the school system was to provide the certificate or whether it was up to the bus service to obtain it.
WTOP contacted Prince George’s County School’s communications office and received an email back from communications officer Raven Hill, who wrote that since Turning Point Academy is a charter school, the administrators should be contacted.
Phone and email messages left with the school have yet to be returned.
The website for Turning Point Academy explains the transportation policy this way: “TPA does have a bus, but the space is limited. During enrollment, students receive a packet with an application for a seat on the bus. Since seating is limited no seat is guaranteed. Because students enrolled in Charter Schools do not qualify for busing through the Prince George’s Public School System, the parents are ultimately responsible for transportation.”
With no buses available this week, the school’s website directs parents to arrange for their own transportation and to make sure that students are dropped off by 8 a.m. and picked up at 3 p.m.
The school’s website also includes a chart that shows what the traffic flow is for drop-offs and pickups.
