Lesson learned from a school bus incident!

This story comes from a valued elementary teaching friend of mine also looking to one day enter administration. This is a valuable lesson for us all, especially in dealing with student bus transportation issues and dilemmas.

I am the patrol sponsor at my building and I am out each morning to greet students and monitor the patrol posts.  This morning, a car who was a bit impatient in waiting for the bus in front of her (which was stopped by our crossing guard) decided to go around the bus – and hit the bus.  I have been doing this duty as patrol sponsor for 5 years and this has never happened, so it was eye opening and definitely is now in my little book of notes.  So I thought I would share so you could add it to yours. I walked down the road a bit to the bus, because it was not moving and the flashers were on.  We had a field trip to leave this morning for the Kennedy Center and the 5th Grade Play performance, so we had a lot more traffic up our little road than usual due to additional parent guests and chaperones. 

I walked to the bus, knocked and asked if I needed to call transportation…she said she had.  I asked if I could take the kids.  She said no.   The policy/procedure is that everyone is to remain on the bus and the bus turned off until the police, emergency personal and/or the transportation supervisor arrives to determine the next steps of the scene.  If you know anything about where [my school] is…this is a neighborhood where folks park along the sides of the street…IT WAS BLOCKED, no one was getting through.  We were able to unload the buses behind this bus and get the kids in the building.  But that bus sat there for almost 20 minutes.

Once the bus was allowed to move and the children deemed okay (a minivan hitting a bus causes little damage) transportation and the police did what they needed to do…Of course we had to call [central office], we had to call each kids parent who was on the bus, and we have to send a letter home…all of which transportation did not know about nor do they provide you with some kind of form letter to use.  In addition, you need the incident number that the police files incase this mini-van makes a claim on the bus.

CRAZINESS…but when I asked the transportation supervisor if this happens a lot – she said yes- so I thought I would share.  Put it away in your tips, tricks and reminders as an administrator book for good keeping.  My principal and AP were doing this for the first time today too…so it could happen, my principal always calls [central office] first and hopes they can guide her through.   Hoping for a lighter afternoon!