(Atlantic) Atlantic Schools Superintendent Steve Barber discussed bus procedure at Wednesday’s School Board work session. The discussion stemmed from an incident that happened a week ago involving a bus that got stuck. The driver was able to free the bus on his own, however, the incident caused concern amongst some parents.
Barber outlined the steps the transportation department will take when a bus has trouble. “There are some things that happened that day and there were some procedures that we didn’t follow,” said Barber. “I want to revisit it and reflect on it and share it with the board.”
In a case such as this, the protocols currently in place state; a bus driver ensures that all students are safe or if other actions are needed to secure their safety. “This procedure is thrown out the door if we have a bus turned over in the ditch and we have injured people,” stated Barber. “The first action is call 9-1-1 and the information will be shared with the public as soon as it is appropriate.
“In this case, all the kids were safe and the bus driver will communicate with the bus garage and inform them of the situation and the location of the stalled or stopped bus or whatever the case may be,” said Barber. “The parents of the students waiting for pickup will be notified the bus is running late and will try to provide a timeline for pickup.”
Barber says the students on the bus in trouble will be transferred to another bus. The regular bus driver takes over the replacement bus, finishes the route and transports the students to their respective schools.
Many school districts, especially in the spring often run buses on hard surface roads only. Barber said the district will utilize this option mainly in the spring when gravel roads are soft due to frost removal.
In other activity; the board heard from two firms involved in needs assessment/culture and climate district surveys. The board had the opportunity to ask questions, but no action was taken.
