Schools
Update: Kindergarten Student Left on City School Bus
Student from Governor Pothier Elementary left on Durham Transportation bus.
A kindergarten student from was left in a parked bus for 30 minutes yesterday after falling asleep during drop-off.
According to a press release from the Woonsocket Education Department, the child was picked up at home, but was sleeping when the bus arrived at the school on Wednesday. Employees from Durham Transportation continued to the bus yard and left with the child still in the vehicle. The child was found later that afternoon by another driver who was using the bus for dismissal.
Durham's procedures call for both the monitor and driver to search the bus, both at the school and the bus yard, but according to the release, neither of these procedures were followed. The parents were notified and at the parent's request, the child was brought home by the school bus. Durham apologized for the incident and has fired both the bus driver and the monitor.
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"I can't believe that it happened," said School Committee Chairman Marc Dubois. "The bus driver and the monitor are supposed to check for students. Not only did they neglect their duty during drop-off at the school, they neglected their duty at the bus yard. Thank god, it worked out OK and the child was fine, but it was gross neglect on the part of Durham employees."
Durham is currently in the last year of a three year contract with the Woonsocket Education Department and the new contract will have to go out to bid in the next several months. The Woonsocket Police Department is currently working with the education department to see if charges should be filed.
Find out what's happening in Woonsocketfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"My opinion was that one of the biggest mistakes we made was letting go of Valley Transportation and giving the contract to Durham," said Dubois.
The bus company, which provides transportation services to various schools across the country, was the low bidder when the last contract went out.
"Hopefully they learned the lesson that the cheapest price is not always in the best interest of the students," Dubois said.
A spokeperson from Durham could not be reached for comment.
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