Marina Student Denied School Bus Service Over Administrative School Assignment

A resident of the municipality of Marina raised a complaint after the school bus repeatedly passed his house without stopping, even though the child attended a nearby school in Vrsine. According to the county's education register, the student is officially assigned to a more distant school in Marina, and the law obliges the state to provide transport only for that assigned school. The parents argued that the bus already runs past their home, so no extra cost is involved, and they demanded transport to the closer school.

County officials, including Tomislav Đonlić, head of the Department for Education, responded that transport must follow the official enrollment area, and that parents who wish to enrol their child elsewhere must arrange transport themselves. The county assembly discussed the case, and the Ombudsman for Children highlighted the applicable legal provisions that could guarantee transport for the child’s actual school. The incident underscores challenges in applying school‑transport regulations within the Split‑Dalmatian County.