Student Transportation Safety Memo
To: Dr. Del Burns, Superintendent
From: Don Haydon, Chief Facilities and Operations Officer
Subj: Student Safety
This memo is to recap discussions we have had regarding the Transportation Department. The Transportation Department of the Wake County Public School System is committed to the safe transportation of students to and from schools every day. The fact that the recent unacceptable student transportation incidents occurred - despite the focus on student safety and continuous reinforcement of practices and procedures - has triggered the need to again review those practices and procedures. The following is a summary of some of the actions that have been taken and are being taken to continuously improve safe operations:
- As is the standard practice before the start of each school year, managers reviewed with drivers the procedures for safe student transportation; those procedures are reviewed and stressed throughout the school year.
- Immediately after the occurrences, managers investigated the facts of the incidents.
- Based upon the results of the investigations, disciplinary actions were initiated promptly.
- Managers addressed the lessons learned from each incident with drivers.
- The Transportation Advisory Committee, comprised of parents and school administrators, was first convened in January 2008 to provide advice on transportation procedures and improving communication with parents. I will ask the committee to review these incidents and to provide recommendations for improvement.
- Senior Director of Transportation Services Eddy Adams scheduled a meeting with Area Superintendents to explore the establishment of more consistent practices for identifying young students with their names and bus stop location.
- I will also request the assistance of the Transportation Committee of the Division of Principals and Assistant Principals in identifying best-practices across the school system for identifying young students; those best practices will be implemented system-wide.
- Mr. Adams will convene bus driver meetings at the transportation district level to not only emphasize the policies and procedures, but also to seek drivers' input on suggestions for improvement.
- Transportation Department leaders will continue to monitor operations to ensure that established practices and procedures are followed.
Mr. Adams, managers, drivers and I are committed to the safety of our students. We will continue to monitor and to improve the procedures and practices that have been put into place.