Prosecutor determines Lakewood school buses were not picking up children

An investigation has been completed into whether schools were still operating in Lakewood despite an executive order by Gov. Phil Murphy to shut down.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office says that the school buses were being used to deliver food to needy families in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and that they were not picking up and dropping off children.

Authorities say that the investigation was sparked by several citizen complaints alleging that school buses were seen picking up children in parts of northern Ocean County. Toms River police even pulled over some school buses to check to see if there were any children on board.

But Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer says that 85 different school buses from four bus companies – Jay’s Bus Service, Masoras Avos Bus Service, Semon Tov Bus Service and Harnet Bus Service – were used to bring food to families in Lakewood, Toms River, Brick and Jackson. Billhimer says that some of the bus drivers had their own children on board and were using them to assist with the deliveries.

The prosecutor’s office has advised the bus companies to use signage on each bus delivering meals to avoid confusion. Billhimer is also suggesting that drivers do not bring their children along on deliveries.

Lakewood has been the subject to much criticism over the past few weeks due to what is perceived to be continuous violations of the governor’s stay-at-home order and ban on public gatherings. Lakewood police have had to break up several weddings and other social gatherings.

But it is important to note that police departments around the state have broken up similar gatherings since the orders were enacted.