McCracken County Schools talks about preventing bus crashes with motorists | News

PADUCAH – After a school bus accident left 16 McCracken County High School students stranded at a bus stop in front of a local church last Friday, the school district is working to prevent similar incidents in the future.

On August 9, several students got off their bus at the wrong stop because the driver had apparently lost his way. Students were also concerned for their safety after the driver apparently drove into a pole.

Since the incident, several parents have expressed frustration with McCracken County Schools for not being contacted before their children were dropped off at the wrong location. Two parents have even decided not to let their children ride that bus in the future.

After Thursday's school board meeting, McCracken County Schools Superintendent Josh Hunt said the district will evaluate and learn from its handling of bus accidents in the past.

“I think retraining means going back through the incidents we've had, looking at the actions that were taken and then re-understanding what the appropriate response would be,” he explained.

He believes that communication with the bus driver is crucial to solving problems before they occur.

“Making sure the communications piece is there. I think, as I've said several times, the communications piece is the district's most important communications response to be able to help. And I feel like that's done,” Hunt said.

He said the bus driver involved in the incident will undergo new training before he can drive McCracken County High School students again.

“We won't go back on the road until our state-trained bus driver instructors have approved them and are ready to certify that they are ready to get back on the road,” Hunt said.

Hunt believes last Friday's situation is atypical for a McCracken County Schools bus driver.

“We run 90 bus routes a day. Count the morning and the afternoon, and you know, on any given day, most 90 is right there,” he said. “The bus drivers work extremely hard to be trained and ready to go for a year. They handle their buses well. They handle behavior well, and it's just, you know, and it's unusual when something like this happens.”

Hunt said he trusted bus drivers to handle any incidents in the future.

“I care about what happens to my children and I want to make sure they receive the best care throughout the day, in the classroom or on the bus. So I want them to know that as a father and a parent, I have confidence in all of our bus drivers,” he said.