Fort Worth ISD will soon start tracking its school buses
FORT WORTH, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - On Tuesday night, the Board of Education approved a new cell service contract to give them the ability to use the GPS tracking devices already installed in district buses and vehicles, in order to "improve operational effectiveness and efficiency."
The vote comes a week after CBS 11 reported on elementary school students who were dropped off at the wrong bus stops, in the wrong neighborhood.
Several families showed up at Tuesday's meeting to demand change and accountability, saying their children are now terrified to get on the school bus.
Jeff Williams, whose daughter attends Daggett Elementary, described the chaos.
"Their excitement soon changed to horror as they were dropped off and left screaming and crying, not only at the wrong stop, but in the wrong neighborhood," he said.
Williams told the board this has happened at least four times in the past month.
"Something's gotta get done," said another parent. "This is unacceptable. The response I'm getting is, 'I'm shortstaffed.' I don't want to hear it. My kid needs to be taken care of. Her safety is number one for me. If it's not number one for your bus administration, then they need to go."
When that mom tried to play a video of the chaos that ensued when the bus driver let the kids out at the wrong stop, staff cut off the microphone, saying "Ma'am, our rules don't allow for that."
The move sparked outrage in the audience, who demanded the trustees turn the microphone back on and let the woman show them the video.
Ultimately, the board took a two-minute recess, and new FWISD Superintendent Dr. Angelica Ramsey escorted the group of parents to another room for a private meeting.
"We, as parents, are not going to tolerate bad judgment or excuses. We as parents are not going to keep quiet," Williams said. " ... We, as parents, demand that things change so these types of things don't happen."
CBS 11 was told the district is working on some kind of app parents can use to track school buses in real time. They hope to roll it out within a few weeks.