Sarah Kennedy says this norm has her daughter, who is in Grade 1, coming home from school not wanting to talk to or look at anyone and going straight to bed.

This girl spends 2½ hours on the bus every day to get to and from her home in Youngs Cove to the Cambridge-Narrows Community School, normally about a 20-minute drive each way.

"They're tired by the time they get to school," Kennedy said of students in the southern New Brunswick community who must take a school bus. "By the time they get home from school, they're completely exhausted.

"Then sometimes we're faced with trying to do homework and suppertime and a lot of the kids just, they don't want to function by the time they get home, and I can't blame them."

Sarah Kennedy said her daughter, who is in Grade 1, is coming home from school and going straight to bed because of her long day. (Submitted by Sarah Kennedy)

When she can, Kennedy said, she will drive her daughter, but she's on disability now, so it's only an option on good days.

Craig Dykeman said his daughter, Keva, is in a similar situation. She just started kindergarten in September and rides the bus 80 minutes each way to get to the K-12 Cambridge-Narrows school.

He said Keva was excited to start school, but now, with the long bus ride, isn't as thrilled.

"She's pretty darn tired after the end of the day," Dykeman said. "She's had enough. She's getting harder to wake up in the morning, too." 

He also said it is hard to expect children to sit still for that long without getting into trouble or falling asleep.

Dykeman said he's contacted the district about his concerns and has received only the generic response that the district is looking into it.

Craig Dykeman says his daughter, Keva, rides the bus 80 minutes each way to get to the K-12 Cambridge-Narrows school. (Submitted by Craig Dykeman)

A spokesperson confirmed the district has heard from parents about the bus route.

In an emailed statement, Jennifer Read said that in mid-September, the superintendent and other executives met to discuss the parents' concerns.

The Anglophone West School District covers nearly a third of the province, said Read, and more than 18,000 students are eligible for busing.

"Planning routes is a strategic endeavour, and changes have a domino effect," she wrote.

At their meeting, district officials looked at changing bus runs or times, Read said, but determined those options weren't "feasible with the resources in place and without adding time to other students' days."

Dykeman says his daughter, pictured here on the first day of school, was excited to start kindergarten, but now, with the long bus ride, isn’t as thrilled. (Submitted by Craig Dykeman)

CBC News asked the district if the long route was a result of cuts to the bus fleet but did not receive a response before publication.

Kennedy said she tries to send her daughter with colouring books to keep her entertained, but it doesn't help with the  exhaustion. She said her daughter would normally go outside and play with her pony after school, but no longer feels like doing even that.

She also said her daughter has told her the day and the bus ride are too long, and she doesn't want to do it anymore. 

Caroline Price, a child and youth therapist based in Fredericton, said a reaction like this to going to school could be a result of some anxiety worsened by the long commute.

"You might see an increase in school avoidance, having a lot more tummy aches, more headaches, more tension, that kind of stuff, in order to avoid going to school altogether," she said.

Price said although nobody enjoys a long commute, for a child, it is even worse. With only 24 hours in a day and young kids needing nine to 12 hours of sleep a day, an especially long school day leaves little time for fun activities or family time.

   An Anglophone West School District spokesperson says the district covers nearly one-third of New Brunswick, and more than 18,000 students are eligible for busing. (Jordan Gill)

In her work, Price said, she has four pillars of health that she covers: sleep, nutrition, movement and self-care, which encompasses downtime and socialization. 

If any of those pillars of health aren't met, she said, it creates an imbalance.

"This could be like, you know, having some increase in anxiety symptoms or increase in depressive symptoms, like, you know, just feeling more lethargic … feeling more tired, more sad, maybe we're less likely to engage in activities that we previously enjoyed," said Price.

"That kind of creates a bit of a cycle in terms of a declining mental health."

Caroline Price, a child and youth therapist in Fredericton, says that with only 24 hours in a day and young kids needing nine to 12 hours of sleep a day, an especially long school day leaves little time for fun or family time. (Submitted by Caroline Price)

She said an especially long day could also affect a child's ability to sustain attention, especially for those with learning disabilities or diagnoses such as ADHD. 

Kennedy and Dykeman also said that after school, the younger kids play outside for an hour every day until the older kids are done and ready to get on a bus, making for an even longer day. Kennedy said she understands that this is part of being at this school and she can accept it.

But she would like to see the district address the long bus ride and maybe add a bus or two for the area.

"If they could find ways to break up the routes so the kids can have shorter days on the bus, that would make a huge difference."

The capital area saw it all on Monday night — a lot of blue, but also some red, green and purple.

The Progressive Conservatives claimed five of the nine ridings in and around Fredericton, the Green Party and Liberals took one each, and the People's Alliance won two.

In the previous legislature, the Progressive Conservatives held seven of nine ridings in the area, after the Green Party claimed the Fredericton South seat and the Liberals won in Fredericton North.

This time, two formerly PC ridings went to the People's Alliance.

Although there was some variety in the top four places across the nine ridings, the NDP consistently came in fifth, with its best showing in Carleton-York, where it won three per cent of the vote.

People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin was an early winner Monday night in Fredericton-Grand Lake. (Jonathan Collicott/CBC News)

Fredericton-Grand Lake

Early on election night, Alliance Leader Kris Austin captured Fredericton-Grand Lake, beating PC Pam Lynch by more than 2,000 votes and collecting 54.6 per cent of the vote. Lynch had held the seat since 2010.

Liberal Wendy Tremblay came third with 10.0 per cent of the vote, Dan Weston of the Green Party got 5.4 per cent, and Glenna Hanley of the NDP 1.3 per cent.

In Fredericton York

Rick DeSaulniers of the People's Alliance won 33.7 per cent of the vote, defeating Kirk MacDonald, who'd held the seat for the Tories since 1999 and won 30.0 per cent of the vote.

Also running were Liberal Amber Bishop, with 18.4 per cent, Amanda Wildeman of the Green Party with 15.5 per cent, and Evelyne Godfrey of the NDP with 1.1

Fredericton South

Green Party Leader David Coon was re-elected in Fredericton South with 56.3 per cent of the vote, with the second-place finisher, Liberal Susan Holt, far behind with 20.1 per cent of the vote.

Scott Smith of the PCs was next with 13.7 per cent, followed by Bonnie Mae Clark, at 8.1 per cent, and Chris Durrant of the NDP, at 1.7.

Fredericton North

Liberal Stephen Horsman, the deputy premier and minister of families and children, led the way with 31.6 per cent of the vote, 261 votes ahead of Progressive Conservative Jill Green. 

In third place was Lynn King, with 21.4 per cent, followed by Tamara White at 17 per cent, and Scarlett Tays of the NDP, with 1.8 per cent.

Former NDP leader turned Progressive Conservative Dominic Cardy wins Fredericton-West Hanwell. (Ed Hunter/CBC)

Fredericton West-Hanwell

Dominic Cardy, a former leader of the New Brunswick NDP, grabbed 31.8 per cent of the vote to win Fredericton West-Hanwell for the Progressive Conservatives, ahead of Liberal Cindy Miles, with 27.9 per cent.

Jason Paull of the People's Alliance was next with 20.9 per cent of the vote, followed by Green candidate Susan Jonah with 17.3, and Olivier Hébert of the NDP with two per cent.

Gagetown-Petitcodiac

The PCs' Ross Wetmore won with 45.7 per cent of the vote, almost double his closest opponent, Craig Dykeman of the People's Alliance, at 23.5 per cent.

Back in third was Liberal Brigitte Noel, with 14.3 per cent, followed by Marilyn Merritt-Gray of the Greens, with 13.6 per cent, and New Democrat Anne Marie Richardson, with 2.1 per cent.

New Maryland-Sunbury 

Jeff Carr won again in New Maryland-Sunbury for the Progressive Conservatives with 41.2 per cent. People's Alliance candidate Morris Shannon and Liberal Alex Scholten were next with 23.7 per cent each.

Green candidate Jenica Atwin got 9.7 per cent, and New Democrat Mackenzie Thomason 1.5 per cent.

• Some Fredericton Hanwell-West voters ready for a third party 
• Tight race, big base: A look at Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton 
• Fredericton South: What civil servants and students have in common

Carleton-York

PC Carl Urquhart was re-elected in Carleton-York with 37.2 per cent of the vote, ahead of Gary Lemmon of the People's Alliance, with 30.8 per cent.

In third was Liberal Jackie Morehouse, with 18.5 per cent, Green Sue Rickards with 10 per cent, and Robert Kitchen of the NDP with three.

Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton

Mary Wilson hung onto Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton for the Tories with 32 per cent of the vote, in the first election since 1993 when Jody Carr hasn't run. 

Star candidate John Fife, a retired army colonel, was 93 votes behind, winning 30.7 per cent of the vote. Next was Craig Rector of the People's Alliance, with 23.2 per cent of the vote, followed by Tom McLean of the Greens with 12 per cent, and Justin Young of the NDP with 2.1.

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