Parent: Students Left In Cold Waiting For Late Bus
COLUMBUS, Ohio —When temperatures turn frigid, common advice is to stay out of the cold as much as you can, but some don’t have that option.
With the previous day’s snowfall, factored into high wind chills and low temperatures, many schools were closed Thursday. But some decided to hold business as usual, which meant students standing outside at bus stops.
One parent said that for seven Columbus City Schools students, it was a cold, harsh reality for more than 30 minutes as kids stood along the Burgandy Lane bus stop. The bus, which is typically always on time, was late Thursday.
Tonia Vargas waits with a child in her car near the bus stop. While she sits, she watches seven other children who aren’t as lucky.
“I said, ‘If it takes 40 minutes for an adult to get frostbite, how are these kids feeling?‘“ Vargas said.
Vargas wanted answers, so she wrote to NBC 4.
Jeff Warner with Columbus City Schools said he was not aware of many calls on late buses, adding there were not widespread delays.
Warner also said he doesn’t want to minimize concern, but the district is unable to control external circumstances like traffic. He said parents have every right to keep their child home, but they will get an unexcused absence in that case.
Vargas was so concerned she took eight children to school on her own. Now, she said she is worried that kids will have to make a tough decision: stand in the frigid air or get in the car with a stranger.
“I spoke to my sister and she said some parents might get angry their child got in with a stranger. Look at the choice they had,“ she said.
With Friday’s weather expected to be even colder, Warner said the weather Thursday permitted school to continue as scheduled. As for Friday, Warner said they will make the decision as early as they can—depending on the conditions.
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Reader Reactions
Is there any student or person that lives by the bus stop,maybe they could register as a “safe” block house for kids to use in extreme conditions (bad weather or if a student needs emergencyy help}. Could the mother in the car(who waits with her child} be desinated as a safe “car” to wait in(if invited by the driver)? Something should be arranged at a PTA meeting.
tahill79.If you have never filed a formal complaint before let me tell you one thing i have here in SC do not back down you tell them what you expect to be done if they cannot help you then you tell them that you will be going to the state super attendant. That is a shame to make those kids stand in that cold weather like that.Galion school district you ought to be a shame of your selves.I will tell you guys one thing that doesn’t happen here in SC our bus drivers look out for our kids And by the way it was 21 degrees here this morning and that is very cold for us here and our buses were on time.
Wow, I will have to say that Olentangy Schools are pretty good about being here on time, even in bad weather. What I would like to see on days like this is that you can stay in our homes and the bus stop at the homes. I understand that, that would take alot of gas and time, but some houses could have more kids in if the parnet know them or if they put this into a policy, parents may get to know each other so that it would not be so bad. Again I understand that it would take alot of time and gas, but it dosn’t happen that often.
tahill79 I would be filing a formal complaint against the driver/school board and the transportation department. As I said I used to drive a school bus as well but the difference was it was for the MRDD clients and they do not wait outside. Now as a mother who’s child does have to wait outside I would not put up with school or bus driver telling me any of that. Go to all the board meetings put in writing a request stating how you and other parents want things done. No child should have to wait outside in these tempertures waiting on a bus. Now I am sure the board will suggest driving the kids to school but that too is not always logical either, parents have jobs, errands and other children so the board needs to be a bit more concerned with the tempertures and the kids.
I live in Galion, and my sons bus is supposed to pick him up around 8:10am. The bus can show up anywhere from 8:05 to 8:30 to pick him up. There are around 15 kids all under the age of 10 at this stop. Most parents will wait with their children in thier cars. The bus driver was actually mad that none of the kids were waiting on the side of the road for her when she pulled up. She told all the students and me(im the only parent that ever gets out of thier car) that they must be waiting on the side of the road when she comes near the bus stop. The next day school was cancelled. Today my son came home with a 3 page letter from the Galion City Schools telling us that the kids MUST be on the side of the road or the driver doesent have to pick them up. Now when temperatures are at 2 degrees i dont think these very young children should be made to stand in the cold so the driver is happy. Im calling the school board to complain.
If Mrs.Vargas was so concern about these kids waiting in the cold why didn’t she tell those kids to get into her car when she got to the bus stop,I’m safe to say that this is her child’s regular bus stop. I’m pretty sure that her own child knew some of these kids.I would have told those children to please get into my car where it is warm Ive done it before and when those kids parents found out what i did they thank me for doing what i did.I do understand that there are sick-Os out there and it is not safe to get into a car with a stranger but like i said im safe to say that her child knew some of these kids.
Jungleman I used to drive a bus and yes it is possible for the driver to get ahold of parents to let them know they are at the stop. Its called the Emergency contact list that each parent is to fill out so their child can recieve transportation to and from school. You call the radio room that information is and should always be readily available to the radio room dispatch. Maybe not with Columbus transportation after all we all know how well CCS and their transportation handle their business and busses, but it is very much possible.
I’m wondering, too, what on earth the Columbus City Schools were thinking. Seems to me that a paramount concern of the school district (the administrators, that is, who make decisions like this) is to keep the kids safe. And with the road conditions as they were this morning, they fumbled the football. Given that my usual 15 minute drive took me almost an hour, I think that it’s probably garbage, to put it politely, for the spokesperson to say that few buses were late. I would challenge Mr. Warner or any of the other administrators to see what it was like for those kids: put on a jacket, maybe too thin because their parents couldn’t afford a heavier coat, then stand outside in the cold weather for 30 to 45 minutes, and see how they like it. I doubt that they would enjoy it at all! Given that they made the decision to cancel classes tomorrow so early, I wonder if the district administrators got a deluge of complaints over their idiotic call to still have school this morning.
First off I dont think that the kids should be put in those conditions. And if the parents hold them out that the children should not get hit with an unexcused for not being in school. Now parents they are your responsibility so if you dont want them in the extreme cold get out their in your car an keep them warm till the bus gets their..
My father was a bus driver for most of my younger years. Drivers today I would not even trust with my dog.
The ride to school and home is uncontrolled for one. That in itself is unsafe for your child.
Not to say the sleeping driver we have in our area. Every morning when I take my children to school they are just as sound to sleep as can be. Come back to either still snoring or on the cell. I have contacted the bus system on this without results.
Sure glad I am one parent that can take and pickup my child from school.
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