Lafayette mother expresses concerns over transportation for her children in Spanish immersion program
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)-- A Lafayette mother is speaking out after she said her children in the Spanish immersion program are constantly having issues with transportation.
Kimberly Bernhart, the mother of the two children in the program, said she's had an issue with transportation since the first day they joined the program.
One child goes to Alice Boucher Elementary School and one goes to Paul Breaux Middle School.
“In reality, we have an issue every year,” Bernhart said. “We've been kind of solving it ourselves in a way, but this year with the girls graduating from Alice Boucher and going into the Spanish immersion program at Paul Breaux, it's an issue from day one."
Bernhart said she got a call from the director of transportation saying one of the child's busses are not able to accommodate their pickup location. Bernhart said she was not given an answer on what she should do.
"I did receive a call from the director of transportation, and he basically just said you're just stuck with that and you're only eight minutes away. That's not true,” Bernhart said.
Bernhart said the only way her child can make the bus is if she sleeps at a friend's house.
"At this time, I actually have her sleeping somewhere else so that she could make that bus, and then I have to go pick her up and then she comes home and then we repeat it," Bernhart said. "Cause that's the only way I can get her."
As a single parent, Bernhart said it's difficult to work while trying to find a way to get her children to school and urged the Lafayette Parish School System to help them so her kids can finish out the program.
"I think that they should listen to us and help us to get one that's closer to us as single parents," Bernhart said. "We have to work just like everybody else, and we're willing to work together to get these kids together to get to school, but we just need one that's closer to us so that they can finish what they started."
Bernhart said she will continue to try and keep her kids in the program, but might have to pull them out if no changes are made.