We want you to be aware of some information being shared on social media about an incident that occurred last night on one of our buses. This message has the facts (as we know them today) of what occurred, clarifies details, and tells you the actions our school district is taking.
First and foremost, the safety of our students is our highest priority.
After initial review, it appears that last night on the way home from school, one of our bus drivers serving Gause Elementary slowed the bus abruptly in response to possible student behavior concerns. When the bus slowed abruptly, some students hit the seat in front of them.
Once the school district became aware of the situation, we immediately assigned another staff member to drive the bus. The staff member involved in the incident is not driving while we sort this out.
We are investigating this incident to better understand exactly what happened and how we can create the safest environment possible on our buses in the future. We are in the process of reaching out to each family. At this point, we have not confirmed information about student injuries related to this incident.
We are working with local law enforcement and they will also conduct an investigation into this incident. Because this is an active investigation, and in order to respect student and employee privacy, we are unable to share additional details at this time.
We are reviewing our staff training protocols to ensure they align with best practices for safety and student support while on the bus. Our students will also receive additional guidance about what is and is not safe behavior while riding our buses.
We appreciate the families who brought the situation to our attention so we could respond. We always take any report of a safety concern seriously, and we are gathering information to support our families as we investigate this situation.
