BY PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER

Walter Strait, 15, was on his way back to school Tuesday morning after Christmas vacation when a faulty city bus pass left him standing by the side of the road.

Strait was one of an unknown number of Detroit Public Schools students who were barred from riding the city's buses to school early this week, the victims of a computer glitch.

"I had my bus card, I was sliding it through getting on the bus, and then they told me I couldn't use my bus card -- it expired," Strait said. "He told me to get off the bus."

Strait spent an extra 30 minutes in the subfreezing weather waiting for another bus to take him to Mumford High School. The second driver allowed him to board despite his nonfunctioning bus pass.

The problem was with the city's plastic, computerized swipe cards that were purchased by the school district and issued to students. The cards are intended to provide transportation to and from school only, so they were programmed not to work during extended vacations such as the Christmas break. But the cards were supposed to be usable again after the vacation ended.

Instead, the cards were incorrectly programmed. When school reopened on Tuesday, the computerized fare boxes on city buses rejected the cards, said Sandra Bomar Parker, interim director of transportation for the city.

Both city and Detroit school officials say they have received calls from students or their parents after they've been refused service on the buses, although it's impossible to estimate how many children where barred.

"It's putting these kids at serious risk," said the Rev. David Murray of the First Holy Temple Church of God in Christ, who said he received 32 calls about stranded students. "I'm really afraid for these children's safety."

About 6,500 public school children in middle and high schools -- some of whom are special education students -- have the passes to ride the city buses instead of yellow school buses. Pre-paid swipe cards are purchased by the school district for these students at a cost of $92 each, per semester.

The Department of Transportation realized the problem and began notifying bus drivers Dec. 27 and telling them to allow students on the buses even if the cards did not work, said Dale Goby, the school district's transportation director.

"But apparently not everyone saw the notices," Goby said. "It's being re-posted and we're sending notices to all the principals."

The worst cases were students who must transfer from one bus to another midway to school. Some were allowed to ride the first bus part way to school, only to be stranded when the second bus rejected their pass, Murray said.

"I don't understand why anyone would put anyone off a bus in this weather," said Goby.

Both city transportation and Detroit school officials said the problem has been resolved.

"We know that it's either gotten resolved or we have gotten word out to our drivers to accept this pass," the transportation department's Bomar Parker said. "Under no circumstances should children be ejected from buses, and I do offer an apology."

It's small comfort to Strait, however. He was late for school again on Wednesday, when the first bus again refused to honor his pass. As a result of his tardies, he's in detention today.

http://www.freep.com/news/locway/skul4_20010104.htm

-- Doris (nocents@bellsouth.net), January 04, 2001