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The latest drop in a difficult year for Edwardsville-Bonner Springs students

KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.

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Students and parents in Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Unified School District 204 say a bus accident Tuesday has exacerbated an already tense time regarding school safety.

USD 204 isn't the only Kansas City-area school district to experience school threats, but the timing of a recent bus accident didn't help ease tensions.

Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

Ariella Lutz, eighth grader at Clark Middle School

“It’s brought a lot to our school overall,” said Ariella Lutz, an eighth-grader at Clark Middle School. “We recently had three violent threats against our school and then this happened. And so the whole school is talking about all these things everywhere right now.”

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Tonya Marie Buck

Bus window was pushed inward after hitting a tree on Tuesday afternoon.

The bus in the 3:15 p.m. incident was carrying 17 students from Clark Middle School and Bonner Springs High School.

Lutz usually sits on this bus, but she didn't go on Tuesday because of a doctor's appointment.

“I wasn’t on the bus that day, what [was] “We were lucky,” said Lutz.

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Tonya Marie Buck

Another window corner was smashed after the school bus crashed into a tree on Tuesday.

No serious injuries were reported, but one student reported a small abrasion on his arm and another reported a small abrasion on his finger, the district said.

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Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

Thomas Rankin's home is to the right of the tree struck in Tuesday's incident. The tree is right in front of Rankin's fence.

Lutz lives near the intersection of 8th Street and Beach Street, where the incident occurred, but Thomas Rankin lives right there.

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Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

Thomas Rankin, neighbor

“I looked out the window and saw this, and when I came outside she actually hit the tree,” Rankin said.

Rankin's security camera captured video after the incident.

The bus driver made a tight turn to avoid some tree service vehicles on the road, but the turn was too tight.

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Thomas Rankin

The view of the school bus and one of the tree service trucks from Rankin's security camera footage that alerted him that there was movement outside his home Tuesday.

“That's probably why she had trouble getting around the corner,” Rankin said.

Rankin was grateful to hear that no students were seriously injured, but also expressed sympathy for the driver.

“The bus driver, I think, has a lot of responsibility,” Rankin said. “They take care of all these kids.”

As a long-time resident of this neighborhood, Rankin knows how much trouble this corner causes.

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Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

On Wednesday afternoon, paint residue from the bus remained on Rankin's fence.

“It was really a nuisance for people coming around that corner, especially because the curve is so sharp,” Rankin said.

On the way home, Lutz noticed the bus on the street, her friends and a driver she didn't recognize.

“I was shocked because it was the bus driver’s first day,” Lutz said.

The school district confirmed it was the driver's first day driving the route.

An email also confirmed that the driver passed the state test for a Class B Commercial Driver's License (CDL) on Monday – the day before the incident – which requires weeks of training.

“The driver has an additional six hours behind the wheel that the trainer spent with him just to overcome additional obstacles and learn routes,” the email said. “This is not required by the state. The driver has also completed defensive driving, first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training.”

Parents KSHB 41's Rachel Henderson spoke with seemed more upset about the outcome of the incident.

For example, the bus driver called the district's transportation team first, a student had to call 9-1-1, and parents felt the district's communication was not timely and downplayed the incident.

In an email to families on Tuesday at 5:44 p.m., the district informed families of the incident.

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Tonya Marie Buck

A photo of the email parents received from USD 204 following Tuesday's incident.

The district's statement further explains how it handled the driver and students on Wednesday:

The driver, employed by USD 204, holds a valid Class B Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with passenger and school bus endorsements. After reviewing footage of the incident, meeting with the driver and determining that proper protocols were followed, the driver returned to his regular route today.

During follow-up with law enforcement today, officers on scene reported they interacted with two students, both of whom sustained minor injuries. One reported a small abrasion on his arm, another a small abrasion on his finger. We thank the Edwardsville Police and Fire Departments for their quick response and assistance. Our school nurses contacted these students today after learning about the on-site assessments. We are relieved that both students are safe and their injuries were minor. Ensuring the overall well-being of our students is our greatest responsibility and we remain committed to this commitment.

Bonner Springs-Edwardsville $204

It ended its statement with an appeal to families and provided context for a future protocol:

The district employs all of its own transportation staff and owns its entire fleet of vehicles. While USD 204, like many other districts, has struggled with a driver shortage in recent years, it has not affected the quality of drivers hired, the training they received or the district's response to any incidents. If a driver is ever found to be endangering the safety of our students, immediate and decisive action will be taken.

In a time of rapid information dissemination and questions of credibility, we want to reassure our families that they can trust the information we provide. We are committed to maintaining transparency and keeping the safety and well-being of our students at the forefront of everything we do.

Bonner Springs-Edwardsville $204

Lutz said she can confirm that misinformation is spreading quickly this school year.

“It will continue and then it will be wrong when it reaches the last person,” she said.

She was back on the bus Wednesday and said although she was nervous, it was a safe ride.

Lutz added that she generally wants everyone to get along and not be rude to each other when conflicts arise.

In the event of a future incident, she would like the adult present to contact law enforcement, tell students it is okay to contact their parents/use their phones, and treat students with respect.

“I just want everyone to be safe,” Lutz said.

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