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Student left on school bus after first day

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By GWEN TIETGEN / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Aug 31, 2006 - 09:10:02 pm CDT

A Lincoln Public Schools bus driver and bus aide left a Belmont Elementary School student, who had fallen asleep, on a bus Monday afternoon, the first day of classes, district officials said.

The student’s parents called the district after the student didn’t come home, said Nancy Biggs, associate superintendent for human resources. At that time, the bus was checked and the student was found, still sleeping, and returned to the parents, she said.

Bill McCoy, the district’s director of operations, said the district’s bus procedures require bus drivers and aides to physically check the bus after each route to make sure all students have gotten off.

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“They didn’t do that on this bus,” he said Thursday, adding the student was safe and “rode on the bus the next day.”

In the past, drivers and aides have been terminated for leaving a child on a bus, Biggs said, adding the incident “very, very rarely happens.”

“It’s one of the things we talk a lot about. It’s a routine practice to check buses at the end of their route,” she said.

Biggs couldn’t comment on any personnel actions taken as a result of the incident. The Lincoln Board of Education must approve any recommendations for termination, she said.

McCoy referred questions to Biggs, saying, “Appropriate action was taken with respect to these individuals.”

Reach Gwen Tietgen at 473-7242 or gtietgen@journalstar.com.


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Sean wrote on August 31, 2006 9:39 pm:
" We give how much to our public schools to make our children safe?? "
Yeah but wrote on August 31, 2006 10:09 pm:
" But it sounds like at least they took care of the problem. Unfortunately, when you have to count on your employees to do things, sometimes that doesn't happen. The most you can do at that point is reprimand them (or fire them). Sometimes bad things happen unfortunately even when you have policies in place to prevent them. Thank God the child was ok and it was a nice day. "
ET wrote on August 31, 2006 11:35 pm:
" Stories like this break my heart, they're so hard to read, when you think of how terrifying this can be to a little kid. But another side of me wonders, "How is this news?" This is like a previous story about a cop getting bitten. These things are going to happen, and people are going to get reprimanded or fired over it. We are not a small town of 200 people. We are a medium-sized city of over 200,000 and these stories hardly even qualify as soundbites. "
GET OVER IT wrote on September 1, 2006 2:38 am:
" You know had this happened to my child I would have just said accidents happen and sometimes things get overlooked. It was a nice day so no harm done. Besides that.... the child was still sleeping so he or she evidently could have cared less and it didn't or shouldn't have effected him or her at all. Give these people a break as from now on I am sure they will be much more careful. "
connie wrote on September 1, 2006 5:48 am:
" I,m sorry 'get over it', but you're wrong! Accidents do happen, but this wasn't an accident, it was negligence! It's true no harm was done and that the parents can now draw a long breath of relief, but you obviously haven't experienced the pure terror of having a young child missing, for however short a time! There's no fear on earth like it. I do agree that the person making this mistake will never make it again, and maybe shouldn't be fired, but on the other hand, it may be the employer's only way of demonstrating how serious this infraction is to the other employees. I'd have to guess, from your comment that either you have no children, or that they're still young enough that nothing like this has happened to you yet. Remember writing your comment when it does! "
Voice of Reason wrote on September 1, 2006 6:14 am:
" Actually, the bigger picutre makes you ask... why is this situation happening more and more in Lincoln? Because more kids are having to take the bus. Why? Because they can't walk to the neighborhood school anymore. Why? Because mommy and daddy's work/day care locations are more important than their homes proximity to the school (when LPS decides where the student will attend). My child has to drive pass three elementary school to get to his school. What ever happened to districts and boundaries? I miss the old days... "
Terry wrote on September 1, 2006 7:59 am:
" I know how to prevent this from happening again: Request a bond issue to hire a Superintendant of Bus Inspection with a staff of about 20 people. Of course they'll need a new building, too. Then hire a consulting firm to do a study on what modifications need to be done to the busses to prevent children from falling asleep, and hire additional "support staff" to oversee the consulting firm. Request an additional bond issue to modify all the busses in the system, and pay for an independant firm to inspect and approve the modifications when they have been done. "
someone wrote on September 1, 2006 8:21 am:
" This is terrible. This once happened at a daycare i worked at, in a church, except it was in the dead of winter about 10 degrees out. The director was the one who did it. Needless to say nothing happened, the director along with the pastor just wanted everything to be hush hush, nobody was suppose to tell anyone. I got out of that place fast. "
Karen wrote on September 1, 2006 8:25 am:
" I'm worried about this child. Why is the child sleeping? Is the child too young for school? My kids never would have slept on the bus when they knew they were going home. The parents can make sure this doesn't happen again. One thing they could do is figure out if the child needs to go to bed earlier. And two they can take and pick up their child. How about standing at the curb waiting for your child. That way the bus won't have to honk the horn to either pick up or deliver the child. "
jim wrote on September 1, 2006 8:34 am:
" dont be afraid....its only the truth "
fathead Neuman wrote on September 1, 2006 10:15 am:
" My co-worker recounted an incident where she was left on the bus once, she's from a rural county in NE. She said it was scary, but she's not permanently scarred or anything, so I'm guessing that this child (especially since they slept through the entire incident) will be fine. Paranoia and over-reaction will not make things better. Terry, your sarcasm is whitty and appropriate. Neal-O should use it in a cartoon! "
KellyJo wrote on September 1, 2006 12:01 pm:
" While I agree that the child most likely won't be scarred for life, what I don't understand is why the driver and aide didn't check the bus, especially on the first day of school. To me, taking 30 seconds to walk to the back of the bus is a no-brainer. I don't know that they should be fired, but use some common sense. As for the child sleeping, it was the first day of school. I know my child, even though we'd gone back to her old bedtime, still had a hard time getting up and was more tired than usual that night. "
Marv wrote on September 1, 2006 12:05 pm:
" I must agree with the "voice of reason" I am sure there are a certain amount of kids that cant avoid having to use the bus. But one wonders how necessary it is that so many ride the bus. When I was growing up we did not have a choice of schools to go to you had to go to the school that was in your district. Which usually meant it was in walking distance. If you your child to go to a different school move to that district. Imagine the money spent on the buses and drivers and all the expensies that go with that. Would go along way towards other programs that would benifit academics for our children. hmmmmm "
Former LPS driver wrote on September 1, 2006 12:47 pm:
" In the past, when I drove for LPS, this happened and both the driver and the para were fired. LPS better do the same for these two. The driver is the captain of the ship. If the para didn't check the driver should have made certain that bus was empty. Kids fall asleep on the bus all the time. Whether its the sway of the bus, not enough sleep and a long day or sometimes medication it happens. How they could not be seen is rare considering that drivers and para's are to close the windows, hatches, check for valuables etc. before they park the bus for the night at the yard. Again I reiterate. There is NO EXCUSE. If LPS doesn't terminate their employ others who in the past were let go for the same infraction should sue for discrimination. "
someone who lost a loved one wrote on September 1, 2006 7:40 pm:
" Children get left on the bus people get fired, a little ole lady in Fairbury Ne gets left on a bus for 10 hours on one of the hottest days in 2005 and nothing happens. She ends up passing away a few months later due to this so called accident! No one was fired or terminated! There is no reason on this earth not to check the bus before the driver gets off! This is totally not exceptable! It does not matter what age you are someone needs to be accountable!!!! "
Former LPS Driver wrote on September 1, 2006 10:00 pm:
" Someone who lost a loved one, I remember this happening, and I how I felt then. I agree with you 100%. Sorry for your loss. I know you miss her and feel her death a real travesty. "

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