This is in response to a recent article regarding the Auburn school buses.
My child attends Edward Little High School. On Sept. 10, the boys’ soccer team had a game in Hampden. The bus left EL at 8:15 a.m. The bus driver got off at the Waterville exit by accident and got lost, causing the boys JV game to start late. On the way home, the bus broke down on the turnpike at roughly 2:50 p.m. The bus driver called for another bus, but the boys were stranded on the bus for more than five hours, sitting on the turnpike with orange triangles around the bus, no police to ensure the boys’ safety.
The new bus did not show up until a little after 8 p.m. and the bus was back at the school after 9:30 p.m. There were no phone calls from the school to parents. Thankfully, my son had his phone so I could communicate with him.
When an issue regarding safety of children crops up, all parents of students on a bus should be notified. It should not be left to the children, who may or may not have phones.
For long trips there should be a better plan in case things like that happen, as well as contacting police immediately to ensure students’ safety, especially on the turnpike. There is absolutely no reason why any child should be stranded on a school bus on the Maine Turnpike for such a lengthy amount of time.
Nicole Gorey, Auburn
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