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Bus drivers and teachers raise safety and staffing worries about routes, behavior and ESC restructure
Summary
At the March 10 meeting a bus driver warned that severe student misbehavior, tablet/GPS failures and inconsistent enforcement are creating safety risks and labor strain; a Cypress Lake teacher warned that an ESC program restructure could harm special-education staffing and long-standing programs.
Anthony Call, a bus driver, told the board that persistent student misbehavior is causing safety risks, driver turnover and operational problems. He described incidents that force drivers to take over behavior management on the bus, reported GPS and tablet failures that sometimes show students incorrectly as dropped off, and said discipline referrals were not producing consistent consequences.
"If I have to slam on the brakes, who's smashing their head?" Call said, urging the district to hold principals responsible for addressing repeat misbehavior and to support drivers with consistent enforcement.
Todd Denbury, a 23-year veteran teacher at Cypress Lake High School, raised concerns about an announced ESC (Exceptional Student Education) restructure and how program placements will be decided. Denbury asked whether teacher assignments will be based on seniority, records, facility capabilities or other criteria and warned that losing established ESC programs could force experienced staff to leave.
Board members acknowledged the issues and said they would follow up with staff. The board emphasized ongoing reviews of code-of-conduct enforcement and said transportation and HR staff would be asked to report back on tablet/GPS reliability, referral processes and the ESC placement approach.
