A proposed bus stop switch in the Jim Thorpe Area School District has several parents concerned.

On a recommendation from Brandywine Carbon Transportation, the district's transportation provider, the board agreed to move the bus stop outside the gates of the Holiday Pocono and Valley View Estates developments in Albrightsville.Superintendent Brian Gasper said last week, however, the change to move the stop on to Route 534, has been postponed.The Holiday Pocono change, according to parent Lynette Goodchild, would require students to walk past the house of a registered sex offender."A lot of people are concerned about this," she said. "Aside from the sex offender, there is a lot of traffic on 534. It's not a great place where they are moving it to."According to Lauren Mundinger, Jim Thorpe's director of transportation, the bus company requested the change because children were "running around inside the gate creating a safety concern.""When you have a lot of kids and cars in a small area, it's tough to monitor that," Mundinger said. "The kids are running around and jumping on rocks. They're being kids."Gasper said a lot of investigation was done before the vote to change both bus stops, but a transportation committee meeting involving the parents and bus company will be required."We've temporarily postponed the change in order to gather more information," he said."We didn't take into account the entrances that may be piled up with snow, the sex offender or some other things. Since the signs are not up and I don't think the township is going to get to it in the near future, we are going to take a harder look at that."Edward George Serafin Jr., 75, lives at 901 Holiday Drive. He pleaded guilty to six sex-related charges in 2007.Serafin admitted he sexually assaulted two girls from the time they were 7 until their late teens at a home in Kidder Township.Mundinger said she was also not aware the bus stop would be near a registered sex offender's house."The last thing we want is for something to happen to one of the children," said board President Dennis McGinley.Both Valley View and Holiday Pocono do allow the district to enter the developments, pick up the students, turn around and leave.Alex Blew, Albrightsville Volunteer Fire Company chief, said the district would be "taking the bus stop out of a safe haven," by moving it."Route 534 would be a real liability issue," he said."It's a blind curve coming from our fire house and cars routinely travel it in excess of 40 mph. Keep the stop where it's at."Gasper said parents who have students picked up and dropped off at the bus stops will be invited to the transportation meeting, when it is scheduled."I think what the bus company wants to hear from the parents is that there will be a parent there controlling the children," said Pearl Downs-Sheckler, a board member.