KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
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Students and parents in the Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Unified School District 204 say a bus incident Tuesday added to an already tense time regarding school safety.
USD 204 is not the only school district in the Kansas City area to experience school threats, but the timing of a recent bus incident did not help ease tensions.
“It’s been a lot for our school overall,” said Ariella Lutz, an eighth grader at Clark Middle School. “We’ve had three violent threats to our school recently, and then this just happened. And so, the whole school is all over the place talking about all this stuff right now.”
The bus in the 3:15 p.m. incident was carrying 17 Clark Middle School and Bonner Springs High School students.
Lutz is normally on that bus, but she didn’t ride Tuesday due to a doctor’s appointment.
“This day I was not on the bus, which [was] lucky,” Lutz said.
There were no serious injuries reported, but one student reported a small abrasion on their arm and another reported a small abrasion on their finger, per the district.
Lutz lives close by to the intersection of 8th Street and Beach Street where the incident happened, but Thomas Rankin lives right there.
“I looked out the window and I seen that, and I came outside, and yeah, sure enough, she hit the tree,” Rankin said.
Rankin’s security camera captured video after the incident occurred.
The bus driver made a tight turn to get around some tree service trucks in the road, but the turn was too tight.
“That's probably why she had some problems coming around the corner,” Rankin said.
Rankin was grateful to hear no students were severely hurt, but he also expressed compassion for the driver.
“The bus driver has got a lot of responsibilities, I think,” Rankin said. “They’re taking care of all these kids.”
As a long-time resident in that neighborhood, Rankin knows how much trouble that corner causes.
“It’s really been a nuisance for people coming around this corner, especially how sharp the corner is,” Rankin said.
On her way home, Lutz noticed the bus in the road, her friends and a driver she didn’t recognize.
“I was shocked because it was the bus driver's first day,” Lutz said.
The school district confirmed it was the driver’s first day driving the route.
In an email, it also confirmed the driver passed the state test for a Class B Commercial Drivers License (CDL) on Monday — the day before the incident — which requires weeks of training.
“The driver has an additional six hours behind the wheel that the trainer spent with them just doing extra obstacles and route learning,” the email read. “That is not required by the state. The driver also passed Defensive Driving, First Aid and CPR training.”
Parents KSHB 41's Rachel Henderson spoke with seemed more upset about how the incident played out.
For instance, the bus driver called the district’s transportation team first, a student had to call 9-1-1 and parents felt communication from the district was not timely and downplayed the incident.
In an email to families sent at 5:44 p.m. on Tuesday, the district notified families about the incident.
The district’s statement goes on to explain how it followed up with the driver and students Wednesday:
The driver, who is employed by USD 204, holds a valid Class B Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with both passenger and school bus endorsements. Upon reviewing footage from the incident, meeting with the driver, and determining proper protocols were followed, the driver has resumed their regular route today.
In following up with law enforcement today, officers on the scene reported having worked with two students, both had minor injuries. One reported a small abrasion on their arm, and another a small abrasion on their finger. We thank the Edwardsville Police and Fire Departments for their quick response and support. Our school nurses did follow up with these students today upon learning of the on-site assessments. We are relieved that both students are safe and their injuries were minor. Caring for the overall well-being of our students is our greatest responsibility, and we remain committed to that.
It ended its statement with a plea to families and offered context on any future protocol:
The district employs all of its own transportation staff and owns its entire fleet of vehicles. While USD 204, like many other districts, has faced driver shortages in recent years, this has not impacted the quality of drivers hired, the training they receive, or the district’s response to any incidents. If a driver is ever found to be compromising the safety of our students, immediate and decisive action will be taken.
In a time of rapid information dissemination and questions of credibility, we want to assure our families that they can trust the information we provide. We are committed to maintaining transparency and keeping the safety and well-being of our students at the forefront of everything we do.
Lutz says she can attest to misinformation spreading rapidly this school year.
“It’ll keep going and then it’ll be wrong by the time it gets to the last person,” she said.
She was back on the bus Wednesday and said while she was nervous, it was a safe ride.
Lutz added that in general, she wants to see everyone get along and not be rude to one another when conflict arises.
In the event of a future incident, she would like the adult present contact law enforcement, let students know it’s okay to contact their parents/use their phones and treat students with respect.
“I just want everyone to be safe,” Lutz said.
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