Statement from Wicomico County Public Schools On Bus Concern

Wicomico County Public School System officials have reviewed the circumstances of a student being allowed to leave from school bus 78 on Tuesday, May 15 at a place other than his assigned or authorized stop. It was determined that procedures designed to ensure the safe transport of students were not followed, and the matter is being addressed with the bus driver and the bus contractor for whom she drives.

The review found that on Tuesday morning, while transporting students, Bus 78 stopped on West Road at a scheduled stop. At that time, a James M. Bennett High School ninth-grader already on the bus requested to get off the bus due to a nosebleed. The student told the driver his mother was going to pick him up on West Road. The driver confirmed with the student that the mother was going to pick him up, and then allowed the student to depart from the bus.

During pre-service and in-service training, school bus drivers transporting students of Wicomico County Public Schools are instructed to discharge students only at school or at their assigned stop. The only exception to this procedure is if the driver has written authorization from a school administrator or Transportation staff.

The Transportation office of Wicomico County Public Schools has policies and procedures in place to protect the approximately 12,000 students transported each school day, said Dave Reeve, Supervisor of Transportation. When procedures are not followed, there are consequences. While drivers are the employees of bus contractors and not of the school system, the Transportation office is responsible for their certification as operators of school buses transporting public school students.

If a driver’s actions are not found to be in keeping with Transportation policies and procedures, the Transportation staff may verbally reprimand a driver, issue a written reprimand, suspend eligibility to operate a bus transporting public school students, or disqualify a driver from eligibility for transporting public school students. The consequences are aligned with a driver’s record. Training to refresh the driver on procedures may also take place.

Once the parent brought the concern to the attention of the school on Tuesday, the school notified the Transportation Office, which then began reviewing the digital video from the bus and interviewing those involved.

“The Transportation Office acted quickly to address the parent’s concern about this matter, as we would any parent concern,” said Dr. Cathy J. Townsend, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services. “We transport more than 12,000 students every day. Parents have a right to expect that their child will be dropped off where they are authorized to be dropped off, and our goal is to have just that happen for each and every student we transport, every day.”