Transportation Director Shelley Dellaquila and Maintenance Director Scott Chapdelaine (pictuted) provided updates at the School Committee meeting that will benefit student safety.
Photo credit: ChicopeeTV
CHICOPEE — During the April 16 School Committee meeting, Transportation Director Shelley Dellaquila and Maintenance Director Scott Chapdelaine provided updates that will benefit student safety.
During her presentation about Chicopee Public Schools transportation, Dellaquila discussed some key improvements for the 2025-26 school year that the Transportation Department will focus on.
Those improvements include bus stop consolidation to minimize students’ time spent on the bus, parent-facing route tracking that would allow parents to track their child’s bus route in real time, enhancing communication and peace of mind.
Dellaquila said the bus stop consolidation could lessen the number of buses on the road and implement a neighborhood stop.
“Instead of having four stops in one neighborhood and have it go back to how it use to be where it was like, one stop for a range of students to maybe downplay having as many buses on the road,” she said.
The parent-facing route tracker would be an app that parents can download on their phone and track their students’ buses as they go.
Dellaquila said she has met Superintendent Marcus Ware and Assistant Superintendent Carol Kruser about the tracking system and said they already have the software for that system.
There will be a cost, but Dellaquila said it will be “minimal.”
The final improvement proposed is exterior bus cameras on the outside of the buses to help address traffic-related concerns and improve overall safety.
Dellaquila explained, “We’re working with the Chicopee Police Department in trying to get the outside cameras so that we can work with them. We have a lot of people that are not stopping when the buses stop.”
Chapdelaine then met with the School Committee to provide an update on the camera project for each school.
He said that he and his team are working on upgrading or installing more cameras in all 15 buildings.
He explained, “This was part of our security audit when our security assessment was done. Walking through we kind of talked to Navigate360, they talked about the different areas we need to add cameras or just upgrading a lot of our security practices with the security camera.”
According to its website, Navigate360 “provides easy-to-use technology, comprehensive training, and expert guidance to help you build your safe school now.”
The team decided that the best way to not disturb the students and status of the current camera systems was to break down the 15 buildings into four phases of installation.
Phases 1 and 2 are complete, which included Belcher Elementary, Lambert-Lavoie Elementary, Szetela Pre-School, Streiber Elementary, Bowe Elementary, Litwin Elementary and Stefanik Elementary schools.
Chapdelaine said staff will be trained in how to use the cameras.
Phase 3 includes Bellamy Middle School, Bowie Elementary, Fairview Elementary and Chicopee Academy. Work is expected to be completed by the end of April.
Phase 4 is ahead of schedule and is expected to start in May, with the camera upgrades to Dupont Middle School, Chicopee High School, Chicopee Comprehensive High School and Barry Elementary School.
