Kennewick bus route changes without parent notification
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If Jeannette Plummer seems upset, consider her story.
"I could have been without a child last night," said Plummer.
Plummer's second grader was let off at her bus stop alone at the very busy intersection of 395 and West 19th near the Harley dealership.
"There was utility trucks here yesterday - there was accidents up and down this road," added Plummer.
The drop-off wasn't expected for another 25 minutes, according to information Plummer had from the school district.
Neighbors found the girl walking near the road and eventually found her babysitter.
"Lost - alone - with no where to go - there was no one to help her," recounted Plummer.
"They treat it like a transit system - once the kids are off the bus - they're no longer responsible at all for them," said fellow mom and babysitter Kassie Barnes.
Kennewick School District says there is no requirement for adults to be present when a child is dropped off the bus -- including kindergarten. This does not apply to students with special needs.
I know that's not good enough, especially when Plummer wasn't at fault. A route change was made and she wasn't informed.
"Will there be some sort of enforcement to ensure that parents are notified before routes are changed?" I asked.
"Well, anytime when an unfortunate situation like this happens, we have to use it as an opportunity to learn and to again go over procedures," said Kennewick School District Communication Director Lorraine Cooper.
Kennewick School District admits it did not follow its own procedure.
"We want the students to be safe," emphasized Cooper.
Plummer and her sitter still plan to file a complaint with the district.
"There's no way we can trust them," said Plummer.
KSD also said its transportation manager met with staff to be sure they communicate route changes to parents once changes are made.
"I could have been without a child last night," said Plummer.
Plummer's second grader was let off at her bus stop alone at the very busy intersection of 395 and West 19th near the Harley dealership.
"There was utility trucks here yesterday - there was accidents up and down this road," added Plummer.
The drop-off wasn't expected for another 25 minutes, according to information Plummer had from the school district.
Neighbors found the girl walking near the road and eventually found her babysitter.
"Lost - alone - with no where to go - there was no one to help her," recounted Plummer.
"They treat it like a transit system - once the kids are off the bus - they're no longer responsible at all for them," said fellow mom and babysitter Kassie Barnes.
Kennewick School District says there is no requirement for adults to be present when a child is dropped off the bus -- including kindergarten. This does not apply to students with special needs.
I know that's not good enough, especially when Plummer wasn't at fault. A route change was made and she wasn't informed.
"Will there be some sort of enforcement to ensure that parents are notified before routes are changed?" I asked.
"Well, anytime when an unfortunate situation like this happens, we have to use it as an opportunity to learn and to again go over procedures," said Kennewick School District Communication Director Lorraine Cooper.
Kennewick School District admits it did not follow its own procedure.
"We want the students to be safe," emphasized Cooper.
Plummer and her sitter still plan to file a complaint with the district.
"There's no way we can trust them," said Plummer.
KSD also said its transportation manager met with staff to be sure they communicate route changes to parents once changes are made.
