NORWICH – The issue of busing in the Norwich City School District this year is stirring some concerns and protests among parents who in addition to dealing with the latest changes in the school schedule, are also adjusting to new bus regulations.

Parents made a plea to members of the school board during last week’s Board of Education meeting to reconsider this year’s changes in the school busing policy. The change requires that students riding the bus after school have only one consistent drop-off point – a stark contrast to past years, when drop-off points could be changed as per parent request. According to school officials, it’s all part of an effort to ensure safety and limit confusion among children and school personnel about where a child needs to go when school lets out.

NCSD Deputy Superintendent Robert Wightman stressed the need for the recent changes given the school’s two-tier busing system that transports students from the Stanford Gibson and Perry Browne elementary schools, and the middle and high schools at different times. The key words in the decision process, he said, are consistency and safety.