Home » News Releases » 2009-2010 » May 27, 2010

Dismissal Safety

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Dear ACPS Parents,

Our mutual goal is to assure the health and safety of each of our students. We have revised transportation and dismissal practices this year as we learned from incidents earlier this fall.

However, even with the current procedures in place, human errors do occur. A recent misunderstanding involving a Kindergartener and dismissal procedures has prompted us to once again review our expectations with our employees, and to remind you about what parents can do to assist ACPS in keeping our children safe.

Please speak with your Kindergartners to make sure they understand not to exit the bus if there is no authorized adult waiting at the bus stop (it is ACPS practice to return Kindergarteners to school). Assure your child that if he or she is brought back to school, the office staff will be there to help and the parents will be contacted immediately. Please make sure that your emergency contact information is current. If you have a Kindergartener and you have listed adults who are authorized to pick up your child at a bus stop, be sure that the information is also current. Please be at the bus stop on time, and send written instructions to the school if there will be a change to your routine.

Despite our best efforts, in one of our schools, a Kindergartener was mistakenly put on the bus on a day that her mother was going to pick her up at school. When her mother was not at the bus stop, the bus driver waited to pull away until he saw a neighbor, authorized to pick up the child, heading toward the stop. The driver and neighbor exchanged waves, but the child's mother told us the child was upset.

The child is safe. She was wearing her Kindergarten sticker and was sitting at the front of the bus so the driver knew not to pull away until he saw the neighbor. Understandably, the child said she was scared during a brief moment when she exited the bus and did not see her mother or neighbor. The ACPS Department of Pupil Transportation is clarifying to all drivers that Kindergarteners should not even exit the bus until an adult is present at the stop.

Teachers and staff at the school should have verified with the parents whether or not the child was to go home on the bus. Staff have been reminded to confirm that any changes in dismissal plans reported by a child must be accompanied by written instructions from the parent, and to never rely on a child to inform them of the change.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child's principal or the ACPS Department of Pupil Transportation.

Sincerely,

Morton Sherman, Superintendent
Alexandria City Public Schools

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