Drivers say district shops lock restrooms; commenters press for bus-safety fixes
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Summary
Speakers at the Cobb County School District meeting said bus drivers lack restroom access when shops lock at 5:15 a.m., and raised unresolved concerns about bus mechanics' pay and safety that were previously raised in public comment.
At the June 12 board meeting, Reki May Parker described what she called an operational and safety problem for the district’s transportation staff: shop restrooms are locked at 5:15 a.m., leaving drivers without access to restrooms before routes. Parker said she was told by an HR staffer, Robert Reinerson, that drivers would be subject to termination if they "poop in the parking lot," and urged the board to provide restroom access or temporary porta-potties.
Melissa Martin and other speakers also asked why the district had not publicly updated the community after bus-maintenance staff raised safety concerns two months earlier. Martin said bus mechanics have warned about dangerous bus conditions and questioned why the district had not addressed pay or safety upgrades. "What is the status of addressing their concerns?" she asked, requesting a clear public assurance that the issues were being handled before the start of school.
The transcript records the complaints and requests for action; it does not record an on-the-record response from district leadership at that meeting. Commenters framed the problems as straightforward operational fixes and called on the board to act.
The matters raised — restroom access for drivers, bus mechanics’ pay, and vehicle safety — are operational issues that may require coordination between transportation, human resources and maintenance units.