Buses return to the 1,500 students who had transportation cut in a May vote

Smithtown, NY (SmithtownRadio.com) – It was like the first day of school all over again as 1,500 students who had their transportation cut returned to bus stops Tuesday morning.

Busing was restored to students who had their transportation eliminated in a May vote, intended to save the district money.

After much community outcry, the Smithtown Central School District decided to put the issue up for a revote. The September revote overturned the original results, restoring busing beginning Tuesday.

Continuing Coverage: Smithtown Schools Bus Vote

Those hit the hardest by the cut included private school students. Students attending St. Anthony’s High School and other schools more than 15 miles away had to travel to a central pickup location before being bused to school. Door to door service for St. Anthony’s students begins again today too.

Transportation has also been restored to all elementary school students. Under the original proposition, students living within 1 mile of campus were not eligible for busing.

The funding for the restoration of buses comes from budget reserves.