Pattonville Parent Alleges Child Was Verbally Abused By Bus Driver

Jeff Lampe, a parent of a Drummond Elementary School student, addressed the Pattonville School Board Tuesday night about an alleged incident on a school bus.

Lampe alleges a district bus driver verbally abused students on a return drive from school.

“I’ve been lied to over and over about this.” Lampe told Patch. “They’re [the school district] trying to scoop it under the rug.”

Lampe told the school board the incident made him wonder about children’s safety. He remained vague on details of the incident while addressing the board.

Board president Robert Dillon explained the meeting’s public participation portion’s rules before inviting speakers to the podium. Public participants, Dillon explained, could not address specific district employees.

Mickey Schoonover, Pattonville’s director of school-community relations, said district officials were aware of the incident and were addressing it.

“Confidentiality laws prohibit school districts from discussing individual student and staff matters, however, we do take the safety and well-being of our students very seriously and will address any concerns as appropriate," Schoonover said in an email.

Digital Horizons

The Pattonville School Board heard a presentation on a proposal for a digital learning environment at its Feb. 14 meeting. The environment — dubbed "iLearn.PSD" — will "allow continuous access to instructional content, increase student engagement and provide a collaborative learning environment appropriate for the 21st century," the executive summary indicated.

iLearn.PSD will focus on four objectives.

• Implement continuous professional development to ensure alignment with best practices for digital learning.
• Create a digital platform enabling teachers and students to communicate and collaborate.
• Provide a device to staff and students that will allow them to interact with iLearn.PSD any time, any place.
• Provide the resources necessary to ensure daily and effective use of iLearn.PSD.

The next Pattonville School Board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 28.