Victory for Norristown Area School District in the Renaissance Bus Matter
Rudolph Clarke Attorney Wins Case of First Impression before the Secretary of Education
April 11, 2014 – Rudolph Clarke attorney Peter C. Amuso won a significant victory for the Norristown Area School District in case of first impression before the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education in the increasingly complex area of charter school transportation and finance.
Renaissance Academy Charter School accused Norristown of not providing adequate bus transportation to its students who live in Norristown. Renaissance claimed the buses were “overcrowded” and that the drivers were “unsafe.” Renaissance asked the Secretary of Education to divert transportation funds to Renaissance as allowed under Section 17-1725A of the School Code.
Through a meticulous presentation, Mr. Amuso was able to demonstrate that Norristown met the standards of transportation under the School Code. In fact, in the ruling in favor of Norristown, the Secretary ruled categorically that the Norristown buses were never overcrowded, and that the drivers were professional. This is the first time that the Secretary of Education has interpreted the level of service required by Section 17-1725A.
