A letter from Seneca Valley School District indicated its Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School students could get more sleep because of its new transportation arrangement, but Zeke Jeter is waking up at 5:30 a.m. on school days.

The sophomore gets little sleep sandwiched between his after-school job and early morning alarm, which Zeke said is needed to fit in a shower and the approximately 40-minute walk to his assigned pickup location, where he catches a bus to the vo-tech.

He and his friend, Logan Christmann — both Seneca Valley sophomores study heating, ventilation and air conditioning at the vo-tech — say the district’s new bus policy, meant to consolidate pickups to locations like the schools and a local fire hall, make the morning commute and access to their education challenging.

“(It’s) one of the major things, I have in my life... walking 40 minutes, but I already have a job. I can’t go to bed at 8 (p.m.),” Zeke said.

Christmann said he has a similar commute, walking 2 miles every school day.

“The thing I’ve been struggling with, the first five days, I was walking two miles to school each day,” Christmann said. “It just seems unfair to me.”

Due to increased student participation, transportation is now being provided from designated pickup locations rather than door-to-door for the district’s vo-tech students, the school’s communications director Ian Hunter said in an Aug. 22 email.

“This change allows for a later start to the day — pickup times now begin at 6:50 a.m. instead of as early as 5 a.m. — and supports the continued growth of the program,” he said.

Students now arrive between 6:50 and 7:15 a.m., can get breakfast at their location and then ride the bus to the Butler Township-based vo-tech.

Zeke’s grandmother, Julie Jones, a nurse who is the guardian of her three grandchildren, said she contacted the school about transportation issue, and though she was offered a solution specific to Zeke, the 14-year-old asked her not to make a fuss, instead opting to walk.

“I should not have to beg to get my kid transportation. I should not have to call the school and say I’m a single grandparent raising these kids, I need help,” Jones said. “They should have transportation; all the sports teams have transportation.”

She said she initially turned down the district’s offer to provide special accommodations, allowing the teen to make the daily trek down Route 68, but does plan to accept its offer as temperatures drop.

Pickup locations for the district’s 186 students attending the vo-tech for the current school year include Evans City Fire Hall, Ehrman Crest Elementary School, Rowan Elementary School, Haine Elementary/Middle School and the senior high school.

Jones said she learned of the change in an Aug. 13 letter sent to families.

The letter left her questioning whether or not Zeke could continue his education at the vo-tech. Her grandson and Christmann hope to open their own business offering HVAC services upon graduation.

“This change also positions us to accommodate future growth in the vo-tech program,” the letter said. “Door-to-door or community stops at such early hours over long distances have become increasingly difficult to manage.”

The letter then goes on to say, “Importantly, this new system opens the door for continued expansion of the vo-tech program, ensuring more students can participate without logistical barriers.”

But for Jones, the letter presented a new barrier.

“Seneca has always picked up the kids at home and transported them, whether it was directly or to a vo-tech bus, and took them to the vo-tech,” she said. “We got sent an email that said vo-tech parents have to take their kids to these specific locations now. So we had maybe a week.

“I reached out and said Seneca already raised my taxes by the max amount, put out this big new building they’re going to build, and I’m just a single grandparent raising my three kids. I’m what they’ve got.”

In a letter she sent to Seneca Valley’s school board Sept. 8, Jones argued the new bus plans puts vo-tech students at a disadvantage and could prevent parents from allowing their children to enroll in its programs.

“Career and technical education is not an extracurricular choice — it is a state-recognized educational track,” she said in the letter. “Denying busing to these students unfairly disadvantages them compared to their peers in traditional programs. This decision places an impossible burden on many families and directly threatens student participation in vo-tech.”

The change in pickup locations comes as Seneca Valley has already started its new relationship with First Student, a multistate school transportation company operating thousands of vehicles daily in the U.S. and Canada.

The $70 million agreement between Seneca Valley and First Student comes after the Seneca Valley school board chose not to renew its contract with ABC Transit and Valley Lines.

In March, the district said in a news release it selected First Student, with an agreement that will introduce a new fleet of vehicles that are “equipped with advanced technology systems designed to enhance communication and safety.”

Brenna Rudisill, communications manager with First Student, previously said Seneca Valley is responsible for its own routing of bus rides.

“We are working closely with the SVSD transportation department for all routing changes,” Rudisill said.

Regina Hiler, executive director of the vo-tech, said all seven Butler County districts have continuously provided busing to the vo-tech over the years and are still doing so.

Jones did say she has talked to Seneca Valley’s transportation department and was told the district would do everything it can if anything were to happen interfering with Jones’ ability to get her son to the designated location.

Still, she thinks altering the busing for vo-tech students is wrong.

“They said it was to keep vo-tech sustainable. It’s pretty much a smoke screen,” Jones said. “They canceled these vo-tech pickups, but the sports kids still have their activity buses. We’re going to get a beautiful new building, but they cut transportation.”