Bus Driver Fired after leaving autistic child on bus


Joint Statement from Kalamazoo Public Schools and Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency:

Kalamazoo Public Schools and Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency have completed their investigation of yesterday’s incident in which a child was left on a bus for an extended period of time. A number of procedures designed to ensure the safety of children were mishandled or not completed.

Kalamazoo RESA has added two new procedures at WoodsEdge Learning Center to better ensure student safety. The school will call the home if a student is not reported at school and has also assigned duties to personnel to parallel the driver’s responsibility to walk and clear the bus at drop-off.
It is the driver’s responsibility to walk through the bus before leaving the bus. This required procedure was not followed. The driver is no longer employed by Kalamazoo Public Schools.

Kalamazoo Public Schools and Kalamazoo RESA are working together to strengthen drop-off procedures.

For more of the story, visit: http://www.wwmt.com/articles/autistic-1390808-newschannel-bus.html

Sonya Bernard-Hollins

Community Voices was founded in 2005 by James and Arlene Washington in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The weekly print publication provided a unique opportunity to inform the multicultural community of news important to them. In addition, it provided an affordable advertising source for small businesses in the community.