JAY — Regional School Unit 73 Director Holly Morris of Livermore told the board Thursday night that she rode on four buses each of the last four days of school last week and found most had no issues with cellphones but some were loud with lots of distractions.
Her report was in response to the June 8 board meeting when Transportation Director Norma Jackman said cellphone use was one of the biggest issues on buses. Jackman requested policies for cellphone use and developing rules of conduct for next year and informing parents. Last month, she reported student behavior on buses was getting worse.
“A lot of socializing happens on the buses, safety doesn’t enter students’ thought process,” Morris said. “Some children liked to talk to the bus driver, which is quite distracting.”
On Monday, she rode on Caleb Greenleaf’s bus for kindergarten through grade five students in Livermore Falls; Tuesday on Leo St. Pierre’s bus for kindergarten through grade 12 students in East Livermore; Wednesday on Peter Crowley’s bus for kindergarten through grade 12 students in East Livermore; and Thursday on Jeannette Whitman’s bus for kindergarten to seventh grade students in parts of Livermore Falls.
On Whitman’s bus students were well behaved, there were no feet in the aisles and “noise was at a minimum,” she said. “I could carry on a conversation with Jeannette and hear most every word.”
When the bus stopped at the railroad crossing the driver turned on the interior lights and the students were all quiet, Morris said, adding the lights get their attention.
Issues she saw on the first three buses included feet in the aisles, loud talking, passing stuffed animals back and forth, eating and making messes.
On most of the buses students are turned sideways with their feet and half their bodies in the aisle, making it difficult for the driver to see past them or out the back window, Morris said.
She said the district has a transportation policy. “We need to implement it, to update it.”
Morris said she plans to serve as a bus monitor in the fall, and “I encourage the rest of you to join me so we can get this taken care of. Our buses are considered a good place for kids to be. They are the first and last interaction we have with these children every day. Let’s make it the best and safest part of their day.”
Superintendent Scott Albert said he would set up a meeting with Jackman and the principals to look at the policy.
“There are some things in there we need to take a look at, definitely need to crack down on,” he noted. “If we don’t do those things, we are going to have issues.”
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