Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parent urges clearer bus-monitoring, reporting after reported assaults; board outlines pilot for monitors
Summary
During public comment, a parent described repeated bus incidents including her child being choked and pressed the board for a single reporting point and consistent consequences; the district said it approved a bus-monitor pilot and will centralize reporting and present data later in the year.
A resident urged the South Huntington board on Monday to establish clearer, more equitable protocols for school bus conduct, detailing prior incidents involving her child and calling for a single, central reporting point for parents.
"I know this is the first time my son's been choked on the bus this year," said Courtney Andrley during public comment, describing repeated incidents she said have occurred over several years. Andrley told the board that relying on cameras alone is reactive and recommended dedicated monitors who can build relationships with students and deter misconduct.
Andrley asked how the board settled on rotating bus monitors rather than a more permanent presence and urged consistent, publicized consequences: "If you do this again, you're gonna get kicked off the bus for a week," she said, arguing that students and families need clear rules and a predictable path for reporting.
District representatives said the board had approved a pilot program for bus monitors. Doctor DeLeah said the district will present a reporting formula later in the year, and that principals and transportation staff will work to centralize reporting so families know who to contact. "We will be presenting that, later in the school year," Doctor DeLeah said of monitoring data and procedures.
Board officials said the pilot will include rotating and regularly assigned monitors on large buses with the expectation that the district will return to the board with results during budget presentations and other briefings.
The comments drew extended discussion about data collection, consistency across schools, and how consequences are applied; the board said it will share contact and reporting information during open houses and other family-facing communications.
Next steps: district staff will develop a centralized reporting protocol, present pilot data later in the school year, and inform families at open houses and on the district website. The specific disciplinary matrix and enforcement schedule were not included in the public transcript and remain to be finalized.
