Community Corner

Police, School Officials Respond to School Bus Stop Confusion

On Middletown's first day of school, a dispute arose between a Dattco bus driver following protocol and parents of Farm Hill Elementary students picking up their children.

A bus full of elementary students arriving home from the first day of school were prevented from getting off at their stop Thursday due to a dispute between parents and a Dattco driver.

At least eight officers responded to Church Street in Middletown at about 3:30 p.m. in front of the Traverse Square city housing project, where a large group of children and parents were gathered.

"There was an issue with bus driver protocol," said Lt. Michael DeSena, who said so many police were at the scene because of a shift change. "Some parents were getting on the bus while the younger kids were trying to get off. We got a call that the bus was surrounded by people."

Superintendent of Schools Patricia Charles, Director of District Operations Marco Gaylord and Dattco bus personnel talked with parents, one of whom showed police a videotape they had taken of the incident.

Some witnesses on scene said one of the mothers forced the bus doors open and the driver pushed one child onto a seat, but both police and school officials said they couldn't comment until videotape footage from the bus was reviewed.

"The driver was trying to get the kindergartners and first-graders off the bus first while waiting to see if they were going home with somebody," Charles said, which is school bus procedure. "The older students didn't want to wait so the driver pushed the kids back."

The younger children became upset and some parents started boarding the bus, she said. Administrators will look over the videotape on the school bus to determine exactly what happened.

Regardless, Charles said, Dattco will reassign the driver to another route. "That bus driver will not be driving that bus again."




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