WASHINGTON BORO, Pa. -- Some parents in Lancaster County are concerned about their children's school bus stop.
They said it's located near the home of a man who was recently arrested for possession child pornography.
Parents in Manor Township said they are uncomfortable with their children waiting for the bus near the home of 39-year-old Christopher Debarr, where he can watch them. They spoke to Penn Manor School District about changing the location of the bus stop, but said the district won't comply.
Debarr lives on Spring Meadow Lane in Washington Boro next to a Manor Middle School bus stop. And some parents don't want their children to have to wait for the bus by his house.
Ashley Glessner, a concerned parent, said,"I'm not comfortable with the fact that he can see our children right out his window. Like in the mornings and after school."
Glessner's son takes the bus to Manor Middle School and his stop is the one by Debarr's house.
She said, "Just floored that that's where my kid stands. And there's two other girls that stand there. It's just - you know your heart sinks."
Glessner is also troubled there is an elementary school around the corner that some children walk to. She and other parents voiced their concerns to the school district. She said she spoke with the district's head of transportation about changing the location of the bus stop.
"She said that Manor Township did not think there was a safety concern but we asked if it could just please be changed for our own peace of mind, and they denied it," Glessner said.
The superintendent of Penn Manor School District, Dr. Michael Leichliter, gave us this statement regarding the stop:
The district has been in contact with Manor Township Police midweek who informed our transportation coordinator that they do not have concerns with the stop where it is located and did not feel an immediate change was necessary for safety purposes. As I shared with the parent, we are still actively monitoring this situation. The district is discussing the situation and may still make a change. Since a move would impact a number of families with students at elementary, middle, and high school and knowing the police did not feel it was an immediate concern, we did not want to make an instant change without fully examining the options available. We may still make a change and will let you know this week if that occurs.
Glessner said, "My thing is it's just a precaution for the school district. There's kids who get their bus stops moved because there's no sidewalks. Because their parents are concerned for those reasons."
It's important to note: Debarr has not been convicted. At this point he is only charged with the crime.