Ray-Pec school district announces transportation changes after parents raise safety concerns

PECULIAR, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Ryan was the first to report this story and has heard the voices of multiple parents in the process. Share your story idea with Ryan.

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Jonathan Eckers was angry the first time I met him — and he had every reason to be.

Eckers, a parent in the Raymore-Peculiar School District, said a First Student bus driver dropped his 5-year-old kindergarten daughter off at the wrong bus stop. He had even labeled her backpack with instructions to prevent exactly that kind of mistake.

Will Shaw/KSHB

"By the grace of God, nothing happened to my daughter that day," Eckers said a couple weeks ago.

A neighbor eventually found his daughter sitting near his backyard fence, where she had climbed over because she felt it was safer than waiting out front. Eckers said the incident is not isolated, and that hundreds of parents reached out to him with similar concerns.

WATCH | Ray-Pec school district shares bus changes after parents raise safety concerns

"There's a difference if it's a high schooler getting dropped off," Eckers told me in a previous interview. "A high schooler can call their parents, fend for themselves. A five-year-old left out in the middle of nowhere, that's beyond unacceptable."

Now, the emotions have simmered, but the desired change remains. Raymore-Peculiar School District Superintendent Slagle, even issued a letter earlier this week to parents apologizing for the transportation mishaps to start the year.

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"I've heard a lot of apologies, god bless them, I thank them for that, but what's the next step?" Eckers said.

Eckers is not the only parent who has spoken up. Tabitha Hayes, who attended Thursday night's school board meeting said she has had communication issues locating her daughter and her bus in the past.

Will Shaw/KSHB

"Honestly the bus company has already proved that they're not taking our kids safety to heart," Hayes explained.

Superintendent Dr. Mike Slagle took parent concerns to heart, announcing the district is investing in an additional transportation partner, purchasing new disability buses, and adding staff to help oversee the transportation department and improve communication — indicating poor communication is the number one complaint received from parents.

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"We want this to be successful, none of us want to be here on a Thursday night talking about this because there is so many other things in this district going well," Slagle said during his meeting announcement. "I do not want this to be a distraction."

I reached out to First Student, the bus company contracted with the district for comment about Thursday's meeting and I never received a response.

Bus drivers, meanwhile, say they have felt caught in the middle. There was a small group of district bus drivers that came to advocate for the heat they have taken over the transportation issues this year.

Will Shaw/KSHB

First Student driver Michael Taylor told me drivers have been doing everything they can.

"It's not the drivers," Taylor said. "It's the planning. The people who did the planning, that caused the problems to break down."

Slagle said the ball is rolling on the new adjustments, providing peace of mind for parents. One parent at the meeting expressed appreciation for the district's response.

Will Shaw/KSHB

"I want to say thank you for the efforts you have put in and to fix some of the problems we do have," the parent said.

Public comment came after the Superintendent Slagle's announcement. A few parents continued to share their experience to highlight the importance of staying on top of the bus service.

Will Shaw/KSHB

Eckers asked school board members and district administrators when they will put in a policy that doesn't permit kindergarten students to be dropped off the bus without an approved adult present.

The district confirmed with me on Thursday, it does not have a specific policy in place for kindergarten aged students.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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