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In some localities, school buses can only drop young children off at stops where an adult or older child is waiting.
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Bus-drop policies vary by locality
Stafford to consider bus-stop policy
BY JEFF BRANSCOME
Date published: 9/22/2008
BY JEFF BRANSCOME
Five-year-old Cameron Mitchell was dropped off at home on the first day of school, but nobody was there to meet her.
Cameron, a kindergartner at Rocky Run Elementary in Stafford County, was supposed to be taken to after-school day care, but boarded the wrong bus.
Cameron walked about a block to a neighbor's home, where she stayed until about 5:30 p.m., said her mother, Melissa Mitchell.
Stafford parents have reported several bus-stop mishaps already this year. During the first week of school, at least three other kindergartners, including a set of twins, were dropped off at the wrong stops.
"What really scares me is the people who prey on these children," Mitchell said.
She thinks the school division needs a policy requiring bus drivers to take children back to school if there's nobody to meet them.
Stafford and Spotsylvania schools have no such policies, but administrators say bus drivers use discretion. King George County and Fredericksburg do have policies against dropping off youngsters who don't have someone to meet them.
Stafford Deputy Superintendent Andre Nougaret said bus driv-ers often take kids back to school if they feel something's not right at a stop.
"I think it would be unfair to say it's not something we routinely do," he said. Most of the county's 21,000 bus riders get home with no issues, he noted.
Nougaret said he plans to talk with elementary school principals about bus-stop policies at an October meeting.
Kermit Shaffer, Spotsylvania's director of transportation, said requiring that every student be met by an adult is unrealistic.
"When you get to stops that have multiple students and parents there, you have to know which parents go with which student," he said. "To ask that driver to recognize every one of those parents you're asking too much of the drivers."
Still, he said, drivers watch for irregularities at bus stops and frequently return children to school.
In King George, kindergartners must be met by someone 12 or older, or they will be taken back to school. The same goes for children younger than 10, unless a parent signs a waiver, said Ray Newton, director of transportation.
"Last year it went into effect, and it's been well-received," he said.
At Hugh Mercer Elementary in Fredericksburg, which enrolls about 750 students in kindergarten through second grade, students must be met by someone at least 12 or be taken back to school.
"You don't want to just turn kids loose, not these days," said Hugh Mercer Principal Marjorie Tankersley. She said she has stayed at school until 6 p.m., waiting for parents to pick up their children.
The Caroline County school division doesn't have a policy, but won't drop off an elementary student unless there's an adult at the stop, said Eric Cunningham, assistant superintendent for administration.
But Caroline bus driv-ers won't necessarily keep children aboard if there's not an adult for every student.
"They know when things aren't right, and the practice is in place that you err on the side of safety," Cunningham said.
Jeff Branscome: 540/374-5402
Email: jbranscome@freelancestar.com
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other counties
PRINCE WILLIAM
Kindergartners must be met at their bus stops by an adult or a sibling 12 or older.
FAIRFAX
Kindergartners who have morning classes and are dropped off at midday must be met by an adult. There is no requirement that kindergartners who have afternoon classes be met. |
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Date published: 9/22/2008
Most recent reader comments:
One driver, 45-70 kids per run X 3 to 4 runs, get real.
(posted by
MRMAGOO
, Sep. 23, 2008 5:49 pm)
I wish parents would quit blaming School Bus Drivers. At each stop you want them be sure there is the correct adult for each student while making sure cars don't run their traffic stop lights so students can cross roads safely while impatient drivers begin to blow horns, inch up and even run their lights. Those concerned parents will be the ones speeding, running bus lights to get home in time so their child does not get returned to school.Schools don't want them returned, they're teachers not babysitters!
Option?
(posted by
Grumpy1
, Sep. 23, 2008 11:59 am)
Parents still have the option of picking their children up at school correct? Anyone who has ever had to be responsible for the little darlings will tell you. They plain don't have the time. Safety in motion, yes they are in charge. But a child who boards the wrong bus does cause a problem that isn't exactly owned by the driver. I would not complain if the child was returned to school, but wait for it....., the admin staff and teachers are already out the door. Hmmm. Tough call...
Children are ulitmately the parents
(posted by
chapsgirl242
, Sep. 22, 2008 6:14 pm)
responsibility - yes they are the drivers responsibility while on the bus, the schools responsibility when at school, but after school the drivers responsibility is to get that child home safely - it is the parents responsibility to make bus stop arrangements and make sure their child knows where to go. both my kids walk 1/2 mile by themselves home - if they were too young to walk this by themselves, it is MY responsibility to work it out - NOT the drivers or the school.
children should be taught what to do in these situations
(posted by
funlovinggrrl
, Sep. 22, 2008 4:38 pm)
I moved to Stafford from Baltimore - I find it amazing the amount of coddling that the schools do here for the kids. When my daughter was in Kindergarten we always had alternate plans. If she got off of the bus and Grandma or Mom wasn't there then start walking down the road home. In Stafford most kids are dropped at their house - how hard is that? Yes, now that I'm here my girls are latch key kids. The oldest takes care of the youngest - it's been fine.
Route 610 is very congested for some kids to be walking next door to a neighbor's home. If I lived there, I would not want my kid walking on the side of the road to catch the bus. Good grief. Does it personally affect you? Cause you to be a few minutes later to work? Leave earlier if that's the case.
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