Racine school bus drivers return students to stops over slick roads
RACINE, Wis. - Many Racine Unified School District (RUSD) parents are upset their kids were left out in the cold waiting for the bus on Tuesday morning, Jan. 23. District officials tell FOX6 News slick road conditions prevented some school bus drivers from not only completing their routes, but caused them to take students back to the bus stop.
Playing the piano is a normal pastime for the La Luz family. But an abnormal Tuesday morning struck the wrong chord.
"Had I not been home, my baby would have been outside in the cold," said Mrs. La Luz, whose daughter was driven back to her bus stop.
La Luz's 13-year-old daughter is a student in the Racine Unified School District. She was also one of the many students in the district who did not make it to school Tuesday.
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"She explained to me that the buses were sliding and around and that it was not safe," La Luz said.
La Luz said her daughter was home for hours before she heard anything from the district.
"RUSD didn’t call, and First Student didn’t call," La Luz said. "There was children, little children, 4-,and 5-year-old children that were left outside at their bus stops to walk blocks in the cold without their parents knowledge. That’s absolutely negligent."
FOX6 News reached out to First Student, the school bus company. A representative said "communication to parents was not timely…and we understand their frustration. We are working with RUSD to address what happened."
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The school district also sent a statement saying they are working with First Student to ensure more communication in the future.
La Luz hopes nothing like this happens again.
"They put many, many, many children at risk being left outside in such severe weather conditions," La Luz said.