Littleton School Committee unanimously approves $30,680 school bus route study

LITTLETON -- July 20, 2022, Littleton School Committee authorizes up to $30,680 for a school bus route study tied to a potential high school start time shift. The five-member committee voted unanimously Wednesday evening at a single-item special session to hire consulting firm GPI, which previously completed a comparable study for the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District. Superintendent Kelly Clinchy said the district's layout, four schools spread across town near the busy Route 2 and Route 495 interchange, makes the logistics unusually complex and warrants outside expertise. Member Brad Austin said he wanted GPI to deliver two or three viable scenarios rather than a single recommendation, and Clinchy agreed the contract scope would be clarified at a project kickoff. Member Justin McCarthy acknowledged reluctance to spend taxpayer dollars but said the quality of GPI's prior work and the complexity of the problem justified the cost. A community survey and open forum are expected in September, with the 2023-2024 school year as the target for any changes, contingent on budget approval and teacher contract negotiations.