School bus service to continue for Staten Island students

NEW YORK — Seventh and eighth grade students in Staten Island will be able to continue riding school buses until mid September. A state Supreme Court judge has signed a restraining order that blocks the city’s plans to end bus service for these students. 

The order forces the city to continue providing buses until a hearing scheduled for Sept. 13. After that, service could be eliminated, NY1 News reports.

Students in other boroughs are only guaranteed transportation services through the sixth grade. Busing is provided to more students on Staten Island because of a lack of public transportation options.

“We had a great day in court. It restored the fairness of the system that my constituents and those on Staten Island cannot and do not have the same transportation system that they do have in the other boroughs,” Councilman Vincent Ignizio told NY1 News.

Attorneys for the city tried to argue in court that kids’ safety on the island is not at risk and that the busing cuts would save about $1.6 million.