Gunfire prompts district to bus additional pupils

About 155 pupils will be bused in the afternoon ‘until further notice.’

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — The gunfire that has erupted in the city’s southwest quadrant in recent days has prompted the Warren City Schools to provide additional afternoon busing and security for pupils in that area.

Effective immediately and until further notice, the district will provide afternoon busing for pupils attending the Jefferson grades three-five pod at the Horace Mann building on Austin Avenue Southwest, and the Jefferson grades six-eight pod at the Reserve site on Loveless Avenue Southwest, said Dawn Marzano, the school district’s director of communications.

The additional 90 pupils at the Horace Mann building and about 65 at the Reserve building will be dropped off at their homes, Marzano said.

The district generally requires pupils to walk home from school if they live less than a mile from either building.

Pupils attending the K-two Jefferson site at Fifth Street and Tod Avenue are already bused and are not affected, Marzano said.

The school district has also assigned a school resource officer to work all day at the Horace Mann site.

No pupils have been injured in any of the gunfire, Marzano said, but many of the affected pupils walk through the area in the afternoon. Some of the recent gunfire episodes have occurred in the afternoon.

“Safety is our main concern where our kids are concerned,” Marzano said.