Published: February 27, 2009 11:42 am      

Bus driver leaves special needs student at bus stop

Interpretation of policy may have led to a Burleson ISD incident last week involving a Durham Transportation bus driver and a 7-year-old special needs child.

According to a Houston television station, the special needs boy attempted to board a Durham bus along with his brother. The special needs boy, who has a speech impediment, normally rides a special needs bus to Brock Elementary. A schedule change prompted the parent of the boys to ask them to ride a Durham mainstream bus together.

The driver of the Durham bus refused to allow the special needs boy to board because he is not assigned to that bus. A resident noticed the child crying at the bus stop and took him to school.

Burleson ISD public information officer Richard Crummel said, “Even though the child was not authorized (for the mainstream bus), we do not want our bus drivers to leave a child unattended.”

A Durham spokesman said the driver did not violate policy and will not be punished. The driver will be retrained, Durham said.

— From staff reports