Parish School Bus Accident Raises Parents' Concerns

On Friday, September 7, 2018, Stacy Walden Terwilliger, a parent of a Franklinton Elementary student, was expecting the school bus to drop her son off at their home. She reports that, after about an hour of waiting, searching, and calling the school and school board with no answers, her son was dropped off by a pickup driver that she did not know. Terwilliger and Katrina Brewer, another parent with a child on the bus, have expressed outrage that they were not notified of the bus accident, that their children were brought home by persons they did not even know, that their children were endangered, that an ambulance was not called, that the WPSO was not called timely, and that school officials have failed to respond to their concerns. They are calling for more transparency from school officials and that the bus driver be relieved of her duties.

The Washington Parish Sheriff's Office received a call at 4:55 pm about a bus having run off the road, Bumble Bee Buzzway in the Stony Point Community in western Washington Parish. The driver of the Washington Parish School System's bus #F13 told the responding deputy that she had met the driver of another vehicle in a curve and the bus ran off the narrow road. A good samaritan provided assistance in getting the bus, which had minor damage, back on the road. The deputy was not advised of any occupants, other than the driver.

Washington Parish School System Superintendent Darrell Fairburn today (September 12, 2018) confirmed the accident and advised that appropriate action, with regard to the driver, had been taken. However, he declined to provide details. He also declined to comment on whether any children were taken to their homes by private individuals or whether the driver had followed their policy with regard to accidents. He did confirm that an ambulance was not called.