Bus Service Continues For Most Students After Fire

The suspicious  that engulfed three buses at Davison School in Lynbrook early Sunday morning prevented some students from getting to school today, while most experienced no interruptions.

The Malverne Union Free School District — which owns the three buses — was able to provide alternate service for most of its students that had relied on the currently charred buses to get to school, but some were left standing outside waiting for a bus that never arrived.

The buses, damaged in the blaze that occurred on Nov. 7, had been used to transport students in the district to three parochial high schools in Nassau County. The buses had been parked in the school yard of Davison Avenue School, a Malverne elementary school located in Lynbrook, when a fire broke out around 4 a.m.

Dr. James Hunderfund, superintendent of the Malverne Union Free School District, said, "We were successfulful in getting Independent Coach to provide service, so we could continue the parochial school bus run ... but one of the three buses had to come from a distant and didn't show up in time to make one of the runs.

"This will be straightened out right away," he added.

Arleen Breen, of Lynbrook, who has two children enrolled at Holy Trinity Diocesan High School in Hicksville, depends on the service the Malverne Unon Free School District provides to transport them there.

"They did get picked up today," Breen said.

Breen said a representative from the Malverne distict called her yesterday to explain that bus service would be running on schedule and the regular driver would be present on the bus.

"They said they contracted with an independent bus company to fill in, and the bus service, including the late bus, would be running as scheduled," she said.

Dr. Hunderfund explained that the school district only recently purchased the three buses just prior to the start of the 2010-11 school year to provide service to students in the district who attend Kellenberg, Sacred Heart and Holy Trinity High Schools.

In the past, many of these students had relied on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to get to school.

"MTA was having such bad service and were looking to cut or modify the service to these students," Dr. Hunderfund said. "The Board of Education really wanted to provide reliable and safe transportation to students who were deserving of it."

The board put the final decision to purchase the buses in the hands of district residents, who voted "favorably" on the issue this summer, and soon after acquired the three buses through a state contract.

Dr. Hunderfund said the current service that the district is using is only a temporary measure until a permanent solution is decided upon.

"We'll discuss solutions with the Board of Education, who will make that decision," said Dr. Hunderfund, adding that the district is covered by insurance. "The repurchasing of buses is I beieve what we will do."

The district has been cooperating with the Lynbrook Fire Department, who responded to the call Sunday morning, and the Nassau County Fire Marshal, who is conduting an arson investigation. The fire marshal has not determined the cause of the fire, but according to a spokesman for the Lynbrook Fire Department, it is currently being investigated as suspicious.

Breen too believes the fire was no accident.

"I don't think something like this happens to new buses," she said.