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Schools

Kinnelon School District Makes Bus Accommodations

High school ranks seventh in 'Inside Jersey' list of top public schools.

Road closures resulting from the aftermath of the recent rainy weather have forced the to make transportation accommodations.

After the tropical storm that hit the , forcing a detour, the district had to come up with a plan to accommodate families on the other side of the road closure, Superintendent James Opiekun said during Thursday’s Board of Education meeting.

“We have separate [bus] runs now,” Opiekun said. “We had to hire a bus company to go in several times and bring those children around because our bus doesn’t have time to do it.”

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He said Business Administrator Alice Robinson is currently applying for federal aid to help alleviate these costs.

Opiekun said he had also been concerned about water pushing against the bridge on Stone House Road near Smoke Rise’s East Gate exit, mentioning that a commercial vehicle ban had been placed on the bridge on Tuesday.

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“I asked for a certification that the bridge did not suffer any damage as we put buses that weigh 15 tons on the bridge,” Opiekun said. “In three to four weeks after the water subsides, engineers can look at the base of the structure and do some tests and calculations on it for any final word on whether any bus can go over there.”

‘A Very Nice Opening’

Opiekun said the district had on Tuesday, despite the rain.

“The weather was a little disheartening,” he said. “I saw many parents standing at the bus stop with umbrellas in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.”

High School Accolades

Kinnelon High School ranked seventh out of 48 in a list of the state’s best public schools in Inside Jersey’s September issue.

Opiekun said this is a testimonial to both the high school and the entire district.

“We build that pyramid from the base up,” he said. “Every teacher and every staff member, when we have success, they are part of that success.”

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