Mason Transit, Teen Center team up to provide rides

Kirk Boxleitner | Mar 23, 20230

A bus is now available to North Mason School District students who want to be involved in extracurricular activities.

North Mason School District Superintendent Dana Rosenbach said her schools’ partnership with Mason Transit Authority and the North Mason Teen Center of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound stemmed from Mason Transit and the Teen Center striking up a collaboration.

Rosenbach credited North Mason School District Director of Transportation Maurine Simons, Mason Transit Authority Operations Coordinator Dan Sharp and Jessica Gray of the North Mason Teen Center Boys & Girls Club with working out how to remove barriers to after-school programs for North Mason teens.

North Mason secondary students now have access to free after-school program transportation, which everyone involved agreed is essential to ensuring an equal opportunity for rural students who face transportation impediments.

“In a community like ours, a number of families live much farther away from their schools than those in more populated areas,” Rosenbach said. “And our school district doesn’t have the money to devote to an activities bus.”

Rosenbach said many North Mason students face additional limitations to their after-school transportation due to parents’ work schedules.

“Those teens (who) would like to be involved in after-school activities, sports and programs are often unable to (do so) because they don’t have a ride home,” Rosenbach said.

Rosenbach recalled being able to walk to her high school, while noting how many post-secondary educational institutions take it for granted that all students can fill their transcripts and skills with extracurricular activities.

Rosenbach noted the school district has already been exploring the expansion of similar partnerships, citing their work with the West Sound Technical Skills Center in Bremerton and Olympic College Shelton.

In the meantime, Sharp said “we will make sure that there are enough Dial-A-Ride buses for the number of teens who use the service. No student will be without a ride.”

The Mason Transit Authority has made the North Mason Teen Center Boys & Girls Club a bus stop, allowing club members and non-club members to a free bus ride at 5:45 p.m. each weekday. Riders must set up a profile with Mason Transit, and can schedule rides by calling 360-427-5033, or TTY/TTD, 711 or 800-833-6388.

Additionally, the North Mason Teen Center Boys & Girls Club has guest passes for teens unsure about joining the club or who just want to visit for a day. Anyone who’s interested can fill out a guest pass.

North Mason High School and Hawkins Middle School offices also have passes.

For more information, contact 360-362-1855 or [email protected].