Some Texas School Districts Have Kids Sitting on the Floor of School Bus
Soooooo, this is apparently normal?
As a kid who took the bus to school all throughout elementary and middle school. I have a lot of respect for school bus drivers. I was first one on and last one off, so you sort of develop a relationship with the driver when you're the last one on their at the end of the day. Now my school bus back in the day was packed, every seat was accounted for.
Apparently down here in Texas, the buses are so packed that kids are sitting on the floor on the ride. According to a statement from one school district, this happens every year. What?! The buses are sitting three to a row, which was two when I was on there. Even with a third kid on every bench. Kids are still having to sit on the floor of the aisle.
Steve Stanford, Communications Director for Comal Independent School District, says they have received phone calls from parents. But the overcrowded buses is typical for the beginning of the school year, "...and we see it every year, so this is not something that is connected to our bus driver shortage."
According to Steve, the max amount of kids that can sit on the bus is 71. Even if they had enough school bus drivers, kids would still be sitting on the floor in the aisle. Which is nuts to me. My bus driver would go nuts if we even stepped foot in the aisle while the bus was moving, you mean to tell me that's a kid's seat on the way?
I have personally not heard of this happening in our area, but if I had a child. No way are they sitting on the floor on the way home. I feel like if the bus driver had to slam on their brakes, that kid in the aisle is going flying up the middle.
I just can't believe in some school districts this is considered 'normal'.