ADAMS TWP — Parents from the Northfields neighborhood want the Mars School Board to change their children's bus stop, claiming it is dangerous.

More than a dozen residents from the neighborhood inside the Treesdale development attended the board's Tuesday evening meeting to request an exemption to a district policy that prohibits buses from entering a cul-de-sac less than 98 feet wide.

The board approved the policy in 2007 after bus drivers reported backing up in cul-de-sacs created a dangerous situation for students running for the bus or family members also at the bus stops.

Michelle Rice said the policy forces the many students from the neighborhood to catch and disembark the bus on a blind curve on Warrendale Road where the posted speed limit is 40 mph.

Rice said 45 families signed a petition she presented to the district asking that the stop be moved to inside the neighborhood.

"That's 45 families who feel their children are not safe at their bus stop."

She said last year a car waiting behind a bus was rear-ended because the vehicle coming around the blind curve couldn't stop in time. Rice also said buses enter cul-de-sacs in nine other neighborhoods within Treesdale, where she said all cul-de-sacs are the same size.

"We implore you to do the right thing," Rice said.

Parent Gina Rorbaugh said the board is considering a significant expenditure to make an aging baseball field safe, while moving the bus stop inside Northfields could keep students safe every day of the school year at no cost to the district.

Board President Kimberly Geyer said the board has discussed the Northfields requests and agrees the district has other stops on busy roads.

"I believe it is the board's intention to stay with the policy," Geyer said.

Parent Teri Giglietti said the board has exempted a number of neighborhoods in the district from the policy after parents convinced them their bus stops were unsafe.

Giglietti said the Warrendale Road stop might be even more dangerous than the situations in some of the neighborhoods that were exempted.

Parent Greg Bova encouraged board members to go to the stop during boarding or disembarking and view the situation for themselves.

"If there is an accident, I will be mortified if one of those children gets hurt," Bova said. "Sometimes policies aren't the right thing."

Board member Rebecca Brown reiterated the policy was put into place so buses would not back up in cul-de-sacs.

Superintendent William Pettigrew said he would send the district transportation director to review the situation. Geyer said the board would discuss the bus stop and respond to the parents.

But Geyer reminded the parents the board does not set bus stops.

"We follow the recommendations of district officials."