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Queen of Haven parents upset over long bus routes

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A group of Queen of Heaven parents are outraged over what they say are new transportation changes to their children's bus routes this year.

The parents and students live within the Orchard Park School District, but the children go to queen of Heaven in West Seneca, a private Catholic school.
 
This year, they say the district changed the routes for the private schools, creating multiple bus transfers and more than an hour and a half commute each way.
 
"It's not just that they're providing transportation, but efficient transportation and this is not efficient," said Jeanmarie Cieslica, a parent in the district.
 
Orchard Park School Superintendent Matthew McGarrity says the district has tried to shorten some of the longest routes this year, and as a result, some students have a longer ride and some a shorter one.
 
McGarrity says a route like this is not unique, and the district urges parents to have patience and give it a few weeks.
 
Sheila Nowak, whose daughter is in 1st grade says it's unfair to use her child as a trial.
 
"To trial this is unfair," she said. "It's an undue hardship for them."
 
In addition to the longer ride, parents say their children aren't getting to school on time.
 
"My son was picked up at 7:15 a.m. and didn't get to school until 8:30 a.m. today," said Cheri Forsythe. "School starts at 8:10, so he was picked up an hour before school to go five minutes away, and he still didn't get there on time."