Did you know it is not school policy to contact the parents when their child's bus is in an accident if there are no injuries? How crazy is that??

So there was a minor fender bender this afternoon. The school bus was trying to turn around in a cul-de-sac that some moron had parked his truck smack in the middle of. it was on the edge, but still right in the middle of the turn. The bus side swiped it. No major damage, no one was hurt. I am not mad about the accident.

What I am beyond mad about is how I found out about it. The kids normally get here between 3:40 and 3:45. I am standing out there in the cold waiting, and waiting. I had left my jacket inside and my cell on the charger. At 10 after 4, I went back in to get my phone and call the school to see what was going on. Last time they were late because of an accident that ws blocking the road to the main enterance. Phone lines go straight to voicemail with a recording that school is closed. Then my neighbor calls. To tell me her 5th grader just called her (yes, the 12 yr old has a cell phone) to tell her they were in an accident, everyone is OK and they will be late.

So why does the school not call us to tell us this? I was in my car and on the way to pick up my child, and my neighbor's daughter (at 4:30) when the bus pulled into my street. I make it back to the bus stop and the school super. gets off the bus before the kids to let us know what happened. He asked if I had heard what happened, I said yes, but through no action of the school. I question him about this and I am told it is not school policy to call the parents unless there are injuries!!

How is this possible? So if your kid rides the bus you are not allowed to be informed of where they are when they are running almost an hour behind? it is school policy to stand there and wait and worry. Needless to say it looks like I will be providing transportation to and from school for DD for the rest of the year.

If they are going to be late they absolutely should tell you!

I'm surprised that the kids that did have cell phones didn't offer to let the others make a quick call home. Just to let the family know why they are late..

At the very least the school should have called saying the bus would be late. I suppose it might be a hassle to make all the calls if it is a full bus still. Especially if no injuries at all...

The bus driver shouldn't have tried to make that turn around like that, they should know how much room they need for clearance.

So now the bus has damage and the school Ins has to pay for it and the other vehicle.

yeah the funny thing is the kid with the cell phone got in trouble for having it a while back and her mom had to fight with the school about it, it's one of the parent link phones, they can only call the 3 numbers programmed into it.

And I know enough bus drivers that have all been driving for over 10 yrs to know that accidents happen. I am just mad that school did not even attempt to notify anyone when their kids were an hour late. And with all of the news stories about crazy stuff happening at schools lately I am leary enough about sending her to school to begin with.

And I know the school has a system that does automatic calls they could have done one recording that the bus was behind schedule, they did it before when they had construction delays and I get one of these recorded calls at least once a week if any activities are cancelled for the day, etc.

Oooo...That would not fly here. My neice's school but was running late due to a mechanical problem on the bus. The bus company called the school, who in turn called me to let me know they had a different bus going to get the kids & that they would be approximately 1/2 late.