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Parents of over 100 students in a suburban Boston school district are left to find ways to get their children to class after lack of funding and shortages led to a lack of bus service outside of grades K-6.
Local mom Ashley Francois is one of those parents. After her license was indefinitely suspended for medical reasons three years ago, she says she has faced challenges with getting her kids to school.
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“In February of ’23, the school system actually filed educational neglect on me,” she told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday.
“One of my children on the IEP [Individualized Education Program] has school refusal, and that’s one of the kids not allowed on the bus or taken off the bus, so they just basically gave right into exactly what this child wanted and that’s not to be at school.”
OVER 100 STUDENTS WITHOUT BUS SERVICE AS MASSACHUSETTS FUNDS BUSES FOR MIGRANTS
A student at a middle school in San Diego was airlifted to a hospital following a fight, school officials said. (REUTERS)
“Now you’ve made it absolutely impossible for me to get him there to access the curriculum, the services that you are specializing for him, so he’s not getting to school to get these services,” she continued. “Kids aren’t going to be able to access any type of curriculum from the Stoughton Public Schools if there’s no way to get them there.”
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As of now, only Francois’ elementary-aged student is able to get a bus ride to school. Faced with the new challenge, combined with her strict budget and her inability to maintain a license, she told Fox News she is considering keeping her other kids at home.
“Am I supposed to pay between four to six Ubers a day for the entirety of the school year to get my children to school, and then question how I’m going to pay for my home, the electricity, the food they need to eat, the clothes and school supplies? Because we get probably two pages [list] of school supplies for each grade,” she said.
MIGRANTS SLEEPING AT BOSTON AIRPORT TO BE REMOVED AS BAN GOES INTO EFFECT
Massachusetts’ migrant population has risen byuu the thousands since 2021.(Fox News)
The bus service controversy comes as Massachusetts recently funded buses for students from the more than 200 migrant families that moved into their community, though local Superintendent of Schools Joseph Baeta insists that isn’t the reason for the problem.
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In a statement to Fox News, Baeta said the following: “When we completed the process of no-fee busing we received 162 more requests this year. We could not have anticipated such an increase. To that end, we provided busing as of Friday for all K-6 students within our policy.”
“We are addressing this issue this coming week (should be close to 100% getting transportation),” the statement continued. “We will know more after Tuesday.”
In a separate letter to parents, Baeta said the state of Massachusetts does not require bus transportation for students in grades 7-12, but the state does require transportation for those living in hotels and shelters.
BOSTON MAYOR SILENT ON SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES AMID MIGRANT CRIME REPORTS
Migrants walk along the highway through Suchiate, Chiapas state in southern Mexico, Sunday, July 21, 2024, during their journey north toward the U.S. border. Migrant populations have exploded throughout the nation under the current administration.( (AP Photo/Edgar H. Clemente))
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The letter also said budget restraints left the district with one less bus than last year and a shortage of bus drivers also exacerbated the problem.
“We are utilizing funding the state provides to the district to bus the students living in hotels/shelters,” the letter said in part. “The funding for these two buses does not come from our operational budget. It is inaccurate to suggest that these children receiving busing is the reason yours did not. If we were not receiving the funding from the state for the students living in hotels/shelters, we would not be able to have these two additional buses.”
In a letter earlier this year, Baeta listed the uptick in student enrollment – partially due to the increased migrant population – as a factor in creating “financial pressures.”
Fox News’ Kendall Tietz contributed to this report.
As the snow turns to sleet and freezing rain in parts of the state this afternoon, it is causing some treacherous travel on Connecticut roads.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is reporting several crashes.
There are crashes on both sides of Interstate 691 in Meriden.
A tractor-trailer jackknifed on the eastbound side of I-691 between Exit 5 and 3, closing the left lane. On the westbound side, a single-vehicle crash closed the left lane.
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There is a two-vehicle crash on I-91 North in Middletown between Exits 20 and 21. The left and center lanes are closed.
A multi-vehicle crash has closed lanes of I-84 East in Waterbury between Exits 25 and 25A. There is a second crash on I-84 East in Southington near Exit 30.
In Cromwell, a two-vehicle crash closed the right lane of Route 9 North in Cromwell.
On Route 9 South, a crash closed a lane on the southbound side.
Are you up for a Maine food challenge, or are your eyes bigger than your stomach?
A Waterville staple, Buen Apetito has a monster burrito just waiting for someone to eat it down to the very last bite.
This thing is a beast, literally called La Bestia, and it’s definitely a mighty task for a fearless foodie.
Take on the Buen Apetito La Bestia Food Challenge in Waterville, Maine
According to Buen Apetito, if you can finish a super-sized burrito in 30 minutes or less, you’ll get the $60 meal for free, a La Bestia champion shirt, and a picture on the wall of fame. That’s not to mention the bragging rights of dominating a task few will be able to conquer.
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Wondering what’s in the burrito?
The Mexican restaurant shared in a Facebook comment on a post that the burrito is filled with “grilled chicken, chorizo, and tender shredded beef or pork. Built on a layer of seasoned rice, refried beans, and French fries, it’s melted together with a shredded Mexican cheese blend and a drizzle of creamy cheese sauce, sautéed peppers and onions, green salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream, creamy guacamole, and a bed of shredded lettuce all wrapped in three extra-large tortillas fused into one epic wrap.”
Let’s just say that this thing is packed full.
The first La Bestia contender took up his fork and knife in December 2025, but despite coming close, he couldn’t come out with the win.
As of March 2026, the challenge has remained undefeated. But you never know, someone is bound to come out victorious.
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Just note that you can only try your hand at this food challenge on Wednesday and Thursday.
Buen Apetito Has Been a Longstanding Waterville, Maine, Restaurant
First opened in 1999, Buen Apeitito has been around for nearly 30 years.
Centralmaine.com reported that the Mexican restaurant was originally located at the Railroad Square complex off Chaplin Street before moving to 99 West River Road in 2023.
A little over a year later, in 2024, Buen Apetito shared on Facebook that it was passing on the torch to new owners, including Dalia, “the heart and soul of [the] kitchen for twenty years,” her daughter, Norma, and Norma’s husband, Shawn.
READ MORE: Famous Maine Restaurant Buen Apetito Adds Powerhouse New Owner to Crew
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And it seems like not only are things still going strong, but new additions like La Bestia food challenge are only enhancing the spirit of big flavor and delicious Mexican food at the Waterville staple.
So, you think you’re up for the task of taking down a beast of a burrito at Buen Apetito? Good luck.
You Know You’re From Maine If You’ve Tried All 19 of These Foods
Here’s a number of foods associated with Maine. How many of them have you had?
Gallery Credit: Sean McKenna
The New York Time’s Best Restaurant Lists Feature These 7 Maine Spots
Happy Tuesday! While today started off dry, we’re already looking at snow out there across the area. While this event will primarily stay as rain on the Cape and islands, it will be an icy mix of snow, ice and rain for the rest of us.
The rain/snow line will continue to advance from the south to the north as the evening progresses. Before the changeover, there will be a quick coating to 2 inches for most of our area.
The threshold between the snow and rain will feature sleet and freezing rain, leading to that icing.
For the rest of the night, there will primarily be rain with continued pockets of freezing rain, leading to increasing spotty ice accretion. Be extremely careful on roads, especially since switching between rain and freezing rain can wash off any road salt.
The rain and freezing rain will exit by 6 a.m. Wednesday, but temperatures will still be close to freezing during the morning commute, so watch out for some spotty black ice.
The rest of Wednesday will be really nice! Highs will warm up to the mid 50s with the help of ample sun.
Thursday we start off in the mid 20s and top off in the mid 40s. We’ll be partly sunny with another chance for some wintry weather Thursday night. This primarily looks like some rain and freezing rain, rather than the triple threat with snow too. We’ll keep an eye on that for you.
That will continue into Friday morning. The rest of Friday: cloudy with a chance for a spot shower and highs cooler again in the upper 30s. Saturday will be dry, breezy and cloudy but gorgeous near 50 degrees! There’s a chance for some rain showers Saturday night. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward an hour before you to go bed!
Sunday we start the day mild in the 40s and make it all the way into the upper 50s with more sun. Monday and Tuesday both look bright and in the 60s! Stay tuned.
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