Belton ISD explains why bus driver refused to let students off school bus in bizarre incident that frightened some children

BELTON, Texas (KWTX) – On August 15, a routine school bus drop-off at James L. Burrell Elementary School in the Belton Independent School District was delayed for over an hour. Students screamed and parents were shocked and demanding to know why the driver refused to let students off the bus.

Several parents told KWTX that they had to intervene because the bus driver did not drop the students off at home and only let them off at the last stop.

“[The bus driver] said his computer system was off and he didn't know where to stop or let the kids off, so he wouldn't let the kids off [the bus],” said Troy Teschner, a local parent.

“He grabbed one girl by the neck, another by the arm, and one child fell to the ground and was injured,” Teschner said.

The father said his children were traumatized by the incident and many students refused to get back on the bus the next morning.

Teschner said his daughter “was in tears and couldn't even go to soccer practice. [Thursday] night because she was excited and had a headache from crying so much.”

Many parents told KWTX they had to rearrange their schedules to get their children back to school, like one Belton ISD mother who asked to remain anonymous. “She just wanted me to promise her I wouldn't put her back on the bus this morning, so I explained to her, 'I promise I took tomorrow off. I'll drop you off and we'll see,'” the mother said.

According to Belton ISD, the confusion was due to the bus driver arriving late to campus. The driver had difficulty entering students' information into the SmartTag, a digital tracking system that tracks each student on the bus.

The difficulties with the system apparently resulted in the bus driver not knowing where to drop off each student.

To ensure a calm atmosphere while parents picked up their children, school security officers were sent to the last bus stop.

The school district’s full statement can be found below:

“We would like to sincerely apologize for the significant delay of bus #31 to James L. Burrell Elementary on August 15, 2024.

“The driver arrived late at campus and then had difficulty entering student information into the SmartTag, causing the bus to arrive at the first stop 50 minutes late. SmartTag is a digital tracking system that tracks every student on the bus.

“We understand how frustrating and stressful this situation must have been for parents and students. The bus was full, which made the situation even more difficult. Please be assured that we deeply regret any inconvenience this caused and are working hard to ensure that this does not happen again.”

“In response to the situation, school security was dispatched to the bus stop to ensure a calm and safe environment. Families of Bus 31 were notified of the delay during the delay and in the evening as a follow-up via ParentSquare.”

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