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Parent group tells Swampscott School Committee bus No. 2 is unsafe, seeks immediate fixes
Summary
A coalition of elementary parents told the Swampscott School Committee that repeated safety and staffing problems on elementary bus No. 2—absent or nonengaged monitors, drivers unfamiliar with routes, and escalating physical and verbal incidents—require immediate corrective action and firm timelines from district leadership.
Ally Libby, speaking as a representative of a group of Swampscott elementary parents, urged the School Committee on April 30 to address ongoing safety problems on elementary bus No. 2, saying repeated complaints over the school year have not produced lasting fixes.
"Our primary concern is the lack of consistent adult supervision on the bus," Libby said, reading a collective statement that described episodes of children left unsupervised while boarding or waiting for buses, drivers who appeared unfamiliar with established routes, inconsistent pickup and drop-off times, and escalating incidents that included kicking, hitting, throwing objects and homophobic slurs. She said some students were harmed and others put at risk.
Libby asked the committee to require consistent adult supervision on all buses, assign experienced drivers who know routes and safety procedures, establish and adhere to reliable pickup and drop-off schedules, set and enforce clear behavioral expectations, and provide timely incident communication to parents. The statement included a request for a prompt response and a timeline for implementation.
Chair Glenn Pastor thanked Libby and asked her to email the statement to the committee so staff could follow up. Pastor and other members did not offer immediate remedies during public comment; the committee’s speaking rules require staff follow-up rather than on-the-spot responses. The superintendent and the business office were identified as operational contacts for follow-up during later discussion.
The matter raises questions the district will have to address administratively: whether to assign permanent bus monitors to specific routes, how monitors are screened and trained (including language proficiency and engagement expectations), and whether the contract manager, identified in public comment as NRT, is meeting contractual supervision requirements. Libby said families are prepared to escalate the matter if they do not receive a satisfactory response.
The committee did not vote on the issue during the April 30 meeting. The chair asked Libby to send the written statement by email so the superintendent’s office can respond with next steps and a timeline.
