The Portville, N.Y. school district sends out a newsletter to all residents each August. I always read it with interest, even though this issue is largely about back-to-school welcomes from administrators.
School rules also predominantly flesh out pages to ensure everyone knows the boundaries.
I zeroed in on a section about school buses and the multiple cameras each vehicle now carries. I didn’t know the lit-up stop arms now include cameras, too, or that schools supply multiple cameras with several views.
For 17 years in Michigan before I switched careers, I worked in school transportation management, first coordinating bus routes for special education students in a county almost as big as Cattaraugus in New York, and later supervising staff. Our buses clocked a lot of miles and hours throughout the day with programs at various sites throughout the community. It was a time-sensitive job that could be tense. Before computerized routing systems and newer technologies, most planning was done by hand — with paper maps!
If a student became disruptive or issues arose on the bus, it was all on the driver for many years. I always liked the saying: “All my problems are behind me — I drive the school bus.”
We did have a two-way communication system so drivers could consult a supervisor for direction in special matters. I dispatched on many a dark morning, including snowy days which were crazy while higher administrators debated closing decisions. We sometimes had buses halfway across the county by that time.
Our buses didn’t have stop arms. When vehicles passed the bus when the flashers were red, drivers radioed a plate number but also had to be able to describe the vehicle and driver in the early years. During latter years of my tenure, a license plate number was sufficient for police to contact the owner and inquire as to who might have been driving. In a reality of little actual follow-through, frustrated drivers gave up reporting many of the frequent offenses. I’m glad today’s buses include stop arms with lights and cameras.
In New York state, if you pass a school bus with flashing red lights while traveling in either direction, even on a divided highway, in a parking lot or in front of a school, fines can be several hundred dollars, include five points on a license, and include 30-day jail sentences for a first offense or up to 180 days beyond that.
Vehicles should stop at least 20 feet away from the bus. Children are either boarding or disembarking if the red lights are flashing. Yellow flashers indicate an intent to stop, so it’s always good to be cautious around school buses because a mistake could lead to tragedy.
I’m also glad to see more attention inside the bus. Our drivers tried out early, bulky video cameras. We could only afford a few, so we rotated them. Only a couple actually had film cassettes but all had red lights. Kids couldn’t tell which were activated. It helped on runs with some rowdier behaviors. Cameras also provided witness as we added human monitors to the most difficult runs.
Drivers were self-conscious at first about what they might be saying to parents or passengers, but they got used to it as they learned the cameras helped, though I will tell you, being one who had to view footage, much of the ride can be pretty boring.
Some bus cameras provide witness, or a “check” of drivers doing their back-of-the-bus walk-through inspection to ensure no little ones are snoozing after each run. Our system was a paper checklist. I know for sure many drivers put checkmarks on the paper for the whole week, not as they did daily inspections. Not good.
I hate to say it, but at least three incidents of children left on the bus occurred during my time at the district. These were children with special needs. Two spent three-to-four hours on the bus until the next run when they were noticed, while one awoke and we heard him crying in the lot. Though the children were deemed physically fine after being checked out by the school nurse, I wonder about their mental states regarding a sense of abandonment.
We wonder how this could happen, but sadly, it HAS happened, many times, a few that have made public news outlets and surely many, like our incidents, primarily known only to those involved. To personally have seen it happen, I’ve listened to the reasons or excuses, usually a distracted hurry by the driver, too busy to actually do the run-through and anxious to get on with the day of errands between runs.
I never want to hear of another such incident. If technology can help prevent that, it’s worth the investment cost.
Remember, these rules, cautions and laws aren’t to inconvenience people. They are to protect children. Their safety is of paramount importance! Kudos to schools who have made the investments and to lawmakers who have strengthened laws for violations. Lives are surely saved because of them.
Welcome to another new school year!
(Contact contributor Deb Wuethrich at deborahmarcein@gmail.com)
