7-year-old left on bus for hours prompts probe

Updated at 4:40 p.m. to add comment from District Attorney

A troubling breach in school bus safety last week that elicited “dismay and disgust” from the Kennett Consolidated School District superintendent is under investigation, officials said.

In a statement released to parents on Tuesday, April 7, Superintendent Barry Tomasetti said a 7-year-old student who was picked up at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31, never made it to school. Instead, the bus driver from the Krapf Bus Companies drove the van to the bus company’s Kennett Square depot, parked, and never realized until more than five hours later that he left the student on board.

Tomasetti’s statement said that the student was only discovered after the district responded to a conversation with the student’s mother and alerted Krapf’s.

“Thankfully, the 7-year-old student involved was unharmed,” the statement said. “I have personally apologized to the student, the student’s family, and I now extend that apology to our entire KCSD community.”

Shawn McGlinchey, who works in Krapf’s Safety Department, said that the driver was terminated the same day. He said that the company’s drivers all undergo rigorous background checks.

McGlinchey released a statement that said the company “has safely transported the students of Chester County for over 72 years. Through our quality drivers, we provide excellent service to the students, the parents and the school districts we serve. With regards to the Kennett student left on the bus, the matter is under investigation, and we are working closely with the Kennett Area School District and the local authorities. “

Tomasetti’s statement added that the district has an “absolute need to protect the privacy of the student and family, and that the situation, which occurred right before spring break, remains under investigation, including by law enforcement authorities.”

Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan confirmed that his office is working with Kennett Square Police to investigate the incident.

Tomasetti's statement also said the driver, who had the necessary child-check clearances, violated Krapf’s rules that require the vehicle be checked for passengers before and after use. “He also failed to demonstrate any common sense and rest assured will never again transport a KCSD student. … Words cannot express my level of dismay and disgust when learning what happened,” the statement said.

According to the statement, the bus company was directed by the school district to reinstruct all bus operators on their responsibilities to the children. The statement said the district will be “reviewing our absence-from-school notification procedures to see what could have been handled differently.”

 

 

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