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Policy committee orders rewrite of AR4 after students, board cite pervasive bus bullying
Summary
After repeated parent and student complaints, Keystone Central SDpolicy committee directed the superintendent to draft a revised Administrative Regulation AR4 with specific progressive discipline for bus misconduct and return that draft in April; the committee also asked the solicitor to confirm legal options for enforcement.
The Keystone Central School District policy committee directed Superintendent Dr. Redmond to draft a revised administrative regulation (AR4) to tighten discipline for student misconduct on district buses, following sustained complaints from parents, staff and student council members.
At the meeting March 11, board members described mounting reports of bullying, fighting and driver distraction on district routes and said current language leaves too much discretion to building administrators. "If you're bullying kids on a bus ... the first offense, you're off the bus for three days," one member said while proposing progressive sanctions.
Two student council representatives told the committee that poor behavior on buses had driven some students to stop riding. "For me, it was kind of like a breath of relief cuz I hated riding the bus because of the behavior that was on it," one student said. Another student who rides a well-behaved bus nevertheless supported stricter rules: "I 100% agree. I think there should be stricter regulations for administrators ... students who violate that need to be removed without just a slap on the wrist." The committee repeatedly returned to how to prove incidents, noting reliance on bus-camera footage, witness statements and the district's investigatory standard.
Dr. Redmond said he would work with principals and the transportation provider and agreed to bring a proposed AR4 to the April policy meeting. He also said he had discussed the concept with the solicitor and asked counsel to confirm whether the district has any authority to fine parents or pursue other legal remedies; the committee requested a formal legal review. "I'll bring back AR4 in a revised version in April," Dr. Redmond said.
Members asked for a parent-notice plan so families understand new consequences, and for the revision to clarify exceptions for students with IEPs and the investigatory steps the district will take before imposing sanctions. The committee did not adopt a final text; it directed staff to draft concrete, progressive consequences and return the regulation for further action.
