Sea Isle City — Some days, Sea Isle City students need a bridge over troubled waters to get to school.

For the most part, parents and board members in Sea Isle City have been thrilled with the change to send their fifth to eighth graders to Ocean City Intermediate School. Several times already in the seven weeks school has been in session, the toughest part has been getting the students to the school.

The culprit? Water, and plenty of it.

On Sept. 11, in the first week of school, the school board found a problem its members hadn’t anticipated – flooding. When a storm rolled in, roads in Sea Isle City, and the bus route through Strathmere were covered with water.

Shortly after, the board asked that a contingency plan be worked up to address that issue.

While the plan is still in the works, another nor’easter rolled in Friday, and the problem happened again.

Some of the school buses went through the flood waters, picking up and delivering students to Ocean City Intermediate School and Sea Isle City School. Others bus drivers refused to drive through standing water.

One bus attempted to get to the intermediate school, but found itself stuck in flood waters on the road running from Sea Isle City through Strathmere.

“I thought I would have more time to do this plan, but after Friday, I guess not,” said Business Administrator Diane Bitting, who was in charge of working on the plan.

Bitting said that for the remainder of the school year, when there is flooding in Sea Isle and Strathmere, the school buses would transport the intermediate students to Ocean City via the Garden State Parkway.

Bitting also said the owner of Sheppard Bus Company, the group hired for bus services, has instructed his drivers to no longer attempt to drive through standing flood waters.

“If the Sea Isle school is declared open, but there is flooding at bus stops and it is impossible for buses to pick up students, parents may transport their children to school or keep them home for the day,” Chief School Administrator Dr. Michael Schreiner explained.

Schreiner said he had been in discussions with Ocean City Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Taylor and that in those circumstances, absences for that reason would be considered excused absences by both districts.

“(The bus company owner) said that, with his buses in the $60,000 range, the buses will not be going through salt water,” he added.

Board members said the plan was a good starting point, but left too many areas undefined.

“I think we need a more in-depth plan. I’m glad we have something, but what we have now is not good enough,” board member Terrence Libro said. “Do we pay the bus company if they decide they can’t pick up our kids? Who decides if there is too much, as far as water on the roads?”

“The plan right now is very subjective, as far as what the bus driver will or won’t go through,” member Ellen Ramsey added. “Friday, the first bus went through the water. Apple Cab went through the water. The second bus pulled over and refused to go through. And if the buses can’t get in, how do parents get out? I’ve driven my child to school in Ocean City probably more often than she’s ridden the bus this year, because the bus wouldn’t come through water. There needs to be some kind of set standard.”

Several board members also want the district and Sheppard Bus Company to consider central meeting places and times in higher areas in Sea Isle on days flooding may be an issue.

The board set up an informal committee to pursue possible additions or revisions to the plan now in place, and will be looking for parent input.