School bus safety coalition presents recommendations to Hamilton County School Board

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – Stand Up for School Bus Safety Coalition members are calling for better means to protect children on Hamilton County School buses.

The coalition presented recommendations to the school board during the board agenda meeting Thursday night.

Durham School Services operates the buses.

The group said Durham and Hamilton County Schools promised to make changes since the deadly bus crash in 2016, but people still voice their concerns over Durham’s maintenance, training and reporting mechanisms.

They’ve documented over 50 incidents concerning buses since the beginning of the school year.

“The wheels on the bus go round and round. Well, we’re saying the wheels on the bus go round and round, but are the wheels on the bus safe, secure and sound? right now, emphatically, affirmatively we have to say no,” Eric Atkins said.

Recommendations included establishing a safety hotline, school bus training for students, fixing the system that deals with misbehaving students on buses, and creating a community task force.