Council raises alarm over school-bus driving; police to step up enforcement and explore route changes

Centerville council members and residents raised safety concerns on April 3 about school buses repeatedly running stop signs and speeding in residential areas near Kennard Elementary and other schools. Council President Ashley H. Kiser and other members said videos from residents show buses driving in ways that endanger children and pedestrians. "If anyone wants to see a video of a bus almost mowing over a child on a bike, I'm happy to send that to you," Kiser said.

Chief Rob Hobbs told the council that the town has limited enforcement capacity during short school drop-off and pick-up periods but said officers will be deployed for education and enforcement when warranted. "Citations, unfortunately, seem to be the only possible solution to this," Hobbs said, noting that temporary enforcement produces short-term compliance but that behavior often returns once enforcement ceases.

The council and police described several complementary approaches under consideration: targeted enforcement at problem intersections, temporary deployment of portable speed-trailer signs, and better coordination with county transportation staff and school-district bus operators. Police said they had met with county bus-operator supervisors and that some operators suggested earlier routing patterns that could reduce conflict points; council members said the school-district staff present at an earlier meeting were reluctant to reinstate those routes.

Council members also discussed non-enforcement steps town departments could take, such as repainting curbs, adding signage or adjusting on-street parking to reduce congestion at school drop-off areas. Public-safety officials warned these measures are limited by existing right-of-way widths and the physical constraints of the neighborhood streets.

Residents reported multiple calls to the school district about specific drivers; a council member said the district sometimes arranged for drivers to call the complainant rather than the district taking direct follow-up, which residents found unsatisfactory. Council members asked that town staff pursue a meeting with county transportation officials and the board of education leadership to seek operational fixes before the start of the next school year.

Next steps: the police chief said officers will continue to patrol at key times, deploy speed trailers in problem approaches and issue citations for flagrant violations; the town will seek renewed coordination with the county transportation office and bus supervisors to evaluate possible route changes.

No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; the council said it will press for practical steps and stronger county cooperation to reduce near-term risks to children walking and biking to school.