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Sam Penrod ReportingFor the fifth time in just four years, a young student has been left behind on an empty school bus operated by the Alpine School District. Last week, two special needs pre-school students were left on a vacant bus for at least three hours.
News of yet another incident has parents questioning their confidence level in whether it is safe to send their students to school on a district bus. Today we pressed the district for some answers.
Last Wednesday two brothers, ages three and four, enrolled in a special needs pre-school at Shelley Elementary in American Fork, were picked up at their home by a bus driver in the morning, but for some reason, they did not get off at the school and neither the bus driver or the teacher's aide realized it.
The driver took the bus home to Pleasant Grove and discovered the children three hours later, when he began his afternoon route.
Jerri Mortensen, Alpine School District Spokeswoman: "We have documents signed by that driver and that aide, indicating fully the procedures and are aware of the responsibility of following that procedure."
But yet again those procedures of inspecting the bus to make sure it is empty were not followed. The district says it places that responsibility on the drivers, who district officials insist have been properly trained.
Jerri Mortensen: "We hope that our drivers will realize that we are very serious about student safety. We have the procedures in place and will take immediate action if that procedure is not followed."
An attorney representing the young boys' parents told Eyewitness News the district needs to do more, besides blaming the driver and the teacher's aide.
He says, "The parents are highly concerned the district isn't implementing policies or tracking those policies. This is yet another breakdown and is unacceptable."
As for what happened to the bus driver in this case, the district would not give us a specific answer.
Jerri Mortensen: "We have taken appropriate personnel action."
Other parents who have children at the school in the special needs preschool, who ride the same bus, say they were not informed by the school about this latest incident. They also expressed serious concern about what could have happened to the young children.
