RANDOLPH – The first three days of school was plagued by snarled traffic and altered family schedules due to the elimination of school bus service. Yet no one took their complaints to the school committee meeting.

School committee Chairman Larry Azer thought he’d hear from opponents of the committee’s decision during the public comment portion of Thursday night’s meeting.

“Given the apparent outrage, I was quite honestly expecting it,” Azer said. “But apparently, parents have accepted it and are moving on. That’s good, because there’s nothing more we can do about it.”

Only two parents attended the school committee meeting, both strong supporters of the school system.

Azer said that even if the school system could get the $452,000 it would cost to restore the service, he isn’t sure restoring transportation would be the committee’s top priority for the money. He also pointed out the decision to cut buses was made several months ago.

“We understand it creates a hardship for families,” Azer said. “This is purely a budget-driven decision.”

The school system eliminated all bus service this fall rather than make further cuts in the teaching staff, he said. Elementary school districts were redrawn, putting nearly the entire town within two miles of an elementary school.

Under state law, school systems must provide transportation for students in Grades K-6 who live more than two miles from their school.

This year’s school budget of $29.67 million is $500,000 more than last year, and is the first increase in school spending in three years. Even with the increase, the schools needed to make $3 million in cuts due to negotiated pay raises for staff, additional special education expenses, and higher utility costs.

Voters at the March town election rejected a $4.16 million Proposition 2 1 2 override which included an additional $3 million for the schools. It was the third override attempt in the last four years to fail. Since Proposition 2 was approved by voters in 1980, Randolph has never approved an override to supplement the operating budget.

School Superintendent Richard Silverman said the elimination of bus service wasn’t something to punish parents for not supporting the override proposal. He said it was to keep from making additional cuts to the teaching staff.

“Class sizes are too large as it is now,” Silverman said. “We wish there was another solution.”

In addition to eliminating the buses, the early childhood center was closed, sports and extracurricular activities were cut and a user fee implemented, and more than 40 jobs were eliminated – many of them teacher positions.

The only elementary students receiving bus transportation are some special education students and those in the English Language Learners program, whose students attend classes in the same building.

While there is no money in the school budget for buses, the town is also short of spending money.

There is an an additional $418,000 in state aid money available, less than what is needed to fund the service for the full school year.

Spending the money requires residents’ approval at town meeting, and although town officials plan to hold a special such session this fall, one has not been scheduled. Other town departments also expect to seek some of that money.

Two years ago, school officials tried to spend money from the town’s stabilization fund to restore cuts in bus service. The proposal failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority. The town has more than $2 million in the stabilization fund.

Outside the Randolph Community Middle School on Thursday afternoon, Cesar Ramirez arrived a half-hour before dismissal time to pick up his son, Cesar III, a Grade 8 student.

Ramirez said the traffic around the school is much worse this year than last. The first few mornings, “it was just gridlock,” he said.

At nearby Donovan Elementary School, Maureen Toscano waited a half-hour before school dismissal to pick up her five children, ages 3 to 10.

“If you don’t get here early, you get stuck in traffic,” she said.

There were lengthy backups at Reed and High streets, close to both schools.

School officials urged parents to follow the traffic patterns set by each school to ease congestion.