For Safety Sake: Citizen Presses School Board for Safer Bus Routes

Neighbors Against Predators (NAP) President Saira McCarthy says some children at school bus stops are not safe. During the Pickens Board of Education meeting last week, McCarthy requested the board change bus stop routes to protect children waiting for school buses from child predators.

“A few weeks ago,”

she said,

“I found out my child’s bus stop was at a child molester’s house, (which) was the bus stop for all the kids in my sub-division. Kids were walking to and from this man’s house. They would stand in his yard, waiting for the bus without knowledge that a child molester was watching them.”

She went on to say the Director of Transportation Bruce Godfrey changed the bus stop to approximately 300 feet away, which she said was only one house passed the predator’s house, and at the intersection that forms a T and has blind-spots. Further, McCarthy said she has watched the bus driver do her best to make a three-point maneuver as safely as she can, but too many cars pass by, she said, cutting the bus off because cars can’t see the bus.

“The kids have to cross streets,”

she said,

“Because there’s no place for the cars to park (or) for the bus to make the maneuver so the kids are not crossing it (the street to get to the bus).”

She explained her subdivision has two cul-de-sacs where the bus can safely turn around; if the cul-de-sacs are utilized children would not walk by the predator’s house and no cars would pass by, making it safe for everyone. This change, she added, would not change the bus schedule, saying it takes the same time for the bus driver to make a three point turn, control traffic and allow children to walk safely to the cars as it does with the current schedule.

But, according to Superintendent Dr. Ben Desper, the district already heeds child safety, paying close attention to the residence of sex offenders while creating bus routes. He also says there is no set distance that a stop must be from a residence of a sex offender, saying the school system is limited as to what action it can take. He also says it’s a good idea for the parent faced with these situations to work with law enforcement to resolve these issues.

In an email to FYN this week, Desper further explained the situation.

“Each Monday morning, an assigned person who works in the Transportation Department checks the sex offender website to see if there have been any changes as to where the sex offenders reside,”

he explained.

“The state requires that we check once a month; we check each week. If necessary, we change the location of a bus stop. We do not allow a child to walk in front of a sex offender’s house to go to a bus stop. Bus stops are changed to an area that is as safe as possible and (one) that meets with the best practices set forth by the state transportation guidelines.”

He went on to say Transportation Director Bruce Godfrey visited the area McCarthy mentioned and determined the safest possible place to make the new stop. Desper also pointed out the district sent home a note to parents to let them know it changed the stop because a sex offender was now living in the neighborhood.

“This has been common practice for transportation to do this for years,”

he said. He went on to say Chris Stancil with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Department who deals with sex offenders, told Godfrey that by checking the website for movement of sex offenders each week and relocating bus stops along with notifying parents why stops are changed, the district is going well above what is required of the school system.

Additionally, Desper noted McCarthy has already met with the district several times and discussed the matter with the school system over the phone. He added that the school system has already arranged a meeting for her with members of the law enforcement community to address her concerns. In a recent conversation with FYN, Ms. McCarthy said she plans to meet with Rep Rick Jasperse to discuss legislation for additional protective measures.

Donnie Craig said last Friday that there are currently 71 registered sex
offenders legally living in Pickens County, Desper said in his email.

McCarthy’s request comes at a busy time for school transportation. The district is currently in the process of adjusting bus routes to accommodate a new redistricting strategy. In February, the board presented to the public a plan to redistrict certain bus routes. According to Superintendent Desper, the primary purpose of redistricting is to increase the number of students attending Tate Elementary School. Desper said the enrollment at Tate has decreased lately.

“Right now, we have Tate Elementary School, where the enrollment has fallen below what the state will fund for certain areas,”

Desper explained at last month’s meeting. He went on to say that due to the fall in enrollment the county may have to start paying more from local money. During the February meeting, the board presented a map showing the perceived new routes. The board presented the new routes for a thirty day public review before approving them during the March meeting. Now, though, if the board grants McCarthy’s request, the routes may change again.

“School officials will continue to work with law enforcement and parents to locate our bus stops in an area that is both safe as possible and that meets the best practices guidelines given to us by the state,”

Desper said.