KANSAS CITY, Mo. — What happens when someone complains about a school bus driver?
We went to eight Kansas City area districts to find out.
Whether we received emails or types of concern forms, every district gave us a look at some of the complaints they’ve received. 41 Action News learned that everyone tracks them a little differently, though all districts said every complaint is investigated.
Changes to processing complaints in Blue Valley
In the Blue Valley School District, Durham School Services, the bus company hired to transport students, is changing the way it handles those complaints. Soon, you’ll be able to call a phone number listed right on the outside of a bus to voice concerns.
You’ll also be able to file complaints in a new online system.
Screenshot of Durham's online complaint system
Durham runs the website.
“We’re accelerating specific actions to strengthen the trust parents place in us,” said David A. Duke, the President & CEO of Durham, in a video released last year.
The new website is one of those actions.
He announced the news in the wake of tragedy. In November 2016, a school bus crashed in Tennessee. Six children died.
Jasmine Mateen lost a child in the crash. She told NBC affiliate WRCB last year that she had complained about the driver involved in the crash before.
“It was about him slamming on the brakes on purpose, making all the kids hit their heads,” she said.
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Durham believes its new website will better track complaints.
“We will have a dedicated leader and team to continuously review all available data to identify potential issues,” Duke said.
Durham's new system will also send email updates to the people who filed complaints.
Company officials said the newest version of the complaint system launched in Chattanooga last week, and they hope to have it up and running for the Blue Valley School District within the next few months.
Click here for ways to file a school bus complaint with some KC area districts
In the Lee’s Summit School District, Director of Transportation Keith Henry said every complaint is documented.
“That’s the biggest thing we do is we want to spot that trend and cut it off then,” he said.
The district runs its own fleet of buses and drivers. Henry said the complaints are filed together.
“When you keep them together, you can track those multiple reoccurring issues,” he said. “If you separate them out, you really can’t see and get that bigger picture of things.”
The complaints area districts gave 41 Action News had a wide range. We saw several related to late pick-ups or reckless driving.
When complaints come in, several districts like Lee’s Summit use technology to investigate.
The technology they use can show when buses start and stop down to the second and even the exact route taken. Their buses also have several cameras they can review.
But sometimes technology fails. One concern form alleged a driver slammed on the brakes to quiet riders, but the document stated there was no video to review.
“Very frustrating,” said Henry. “To the point now, this past year we started replacing our systems.”
Despite the technology, Henry also said Lee’s Summit bus drivers require a daily human check-in, too.
“A visual inspection, just to make sure they’re in safe mind, body, and soul to drive the bus,” he said.
Henry also said that after the tragic crash in Chattanooga, their new bus drivers and bus aides now take a test in their interview called the School Bus Driver Safety and Risk Assessment. It judges how a prospective employee measures risk.
How to contact different KC area school districts:
Lee’s Summit School District: Prefers complaints via phone at (816) 986-2400 but also accepts via the district website at http://www.lsr7.org/schools/bus-transportation/
North Kansas City School District: Contact the transportation office directly at 816-321-5555
Kansas City Public Schools: Contact information can be found at https://www.kcpublicschools.org/transportation
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools: Contact Director of Transportation Miguel Martin (913) 627-3115
Olathe Public Schools: Parents should first contact their school’s principal or you can call the district transportation manager at 913-780-7000
Shawnee Mission School District: Direct concerns to DS Bus Lines at 913-384-1190
Blue Valley School District: Until Durham’s new system is up and running, school district officials ask you call Durham’s local office at 913-681-2492
Independence School District: Call the school district’s Transportation Department at 816-521-5335
First Student: The company transports students in some area districts and has a form on its website where you can leave concerns: http://www.firststudentinc.com/contact. It will also give you a phone number of a local office to call with immediate concerns based on your zip code.
