Child Dies on School Bus in Herndon

[Anonymous]

Great post 18:35. Reasonable instead of rash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, all the special needs buses have A/C. If they don’t, they are pulled out of service.

Second, that time of day, the student is most likely middle school, so this isn’t a tiny child.

Unless the student’s IEP states that the attendant MUST sit beside the student, the student can request that the attendant sits elsewhere on the bus. This doesn’t mean that the student is ignored, but that his/her independance is respected.

There is a “last” student/stop on every school bus every day.

The driver had to have been on the bus or who would have pulled the bus over. Also, the driver would be the person responsible for radio communications with the dispatcher and providing ongoing information to rescue. (Had it been a regular bus without an attendant, of course CPR to student would take precedence after initial call)

So the attendant was giving CPR. they have same training as driver. What difference does it make. For all we know, the driver and attendant were taking turns and the attendant was administering CPR when help arrived.

Some students on these buses are very fragile. The parents, medical, admins and the student make an informed decision about how they wish to live whatever lives they have. And sometimes a medical emergency happens at home, at school or in between.

It is very sad that a student died. We do not know if this is an entirely “unexpected” event, so don’t assume it had anything to do with riding a school bus.

Middle school dismissal is 2:15.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, all the special needs buses have A/C. If they don’t, they are pulled out of service.

Second, that time of day, the student is most likely middle school, so this isn’t a tiny child.

Unless the student’s IEP states that the attendant MUST sit beside the student, the student can request that the attendant sits elsewhere on the bus. This doesn’t mean that the student is ignored, but that his/her independance is respected.

There is a “last” student/stop on every school bus every day.

The driver had to have been on the bus or who would have pulled the bus over. Also, the driver would be the person responsible for radio communications with the dispatcher and providing ongoing information to rescue. (Had it been a regular bus without an attendant, of course CPR to student would take precedence after initial call)

So the attendant was giving CPR. they have same training as driver. What difference does it make. For all we know, the driver and attendant were taking turns and the attendant was administering CPR when help arrived.

Some students on these buses are very fragile. The parents, medical, admins and the student make an informed decision about how they wish to live whatever lives they have. And sometimes a medical emergency happens at home, at school or in between.

It is very sad that a student died. We do not know if this is an entirely “unexpected” event, so don’t assume it had anything to do with riding a school bus.

Middle school dismissal is 2:15.

Not the PP to whom you're responding but: Why are people coming back fixated on the time of day this happened and the times of day kids supposedly should or should not be on a bus according to total strangers who post on DCUM?

There are many special bus routes all over the county every day for kids with a variety of situations and needs. I do not see why some posters here seem so suspicious about a child being on a bus at 2 p.m. You have zero idea why that child was on any bus at 2:00, whether the child is in middle or elementary or high school (hasn't been made public), what time the child's school dismisses or (gasp!) whether that child might not have been ruled by the school dismissal time at his school. Some kids at DC's school are special needs and arrive and leave at times different from the rest of the student body. Just let the whole "Middle school dismissal is 2:15!" etc. go, already.

[Anonymous]

My child rides a FCPS special needs bus every day to a private placement. The a/c is frequently broken. The bus driver has a personal fan for herself. My child insists that the windows do not open but I am not sure if that is correct.

[Anonymous]

Anyone seen any publicly-made updates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was in seventh grade, a classmate had a heart attack on the bus on the way home and died - I mean all kinds of things could have happened

Holy smoke. Did you ever find out what caused his heart attack? Undiagnosed underlying condition?

[Anonymous]

A child died while waiting around at a practice in our area. It was no ones fault but still shocking and heartbreaking.

[Anonymous]

Not the PP to whom you're responding but: Why are people coming back fixated on the time of day this happened and the times of day kids supposedly should or should not be on a bus according to total strangers who post on DCUM?

There are many special bus routes all over the county every day for kids with a variety of situations and needs. I do not see why some posters here seem so suspicious about a child being on a bus at 2 p.m. You have zero idea why that child was on any bus at 2:00, whether the child is in middle or elementary or high school (hasn't been made public), what time the child's school dismisses or (gasp!) whether that child might not have been ruled by the school dismissal time at his school. Some kids at DC's school are special needs and arrive and leave at times different from the rest of the student body. Just let the whole "Middle school dismissal is 2:15!" etc. go, already.

I think that because so few details have been released, that there is still the fear that the child was left on the bus. Once we know a little more, people will be more understanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, all the special needs buses have A/C. If they don’t, they are pulled out of service.

Second, that time of day, the student is most likely middle school, so this isn’t a tiny child.

Unless the student’s IEP states that the attendant MUST sit beside the student, the student can request that the attendant sits elsewhere on the bus. This doesn’t mean that the student is ignored, but that his/her independance is respected.

There is a “last” student/stop on every school bus every day.

The driver had to have been on the bus or who would have pulled the bus over. Also, the driver would be the person responsible for radio communications with the dispatcher and providing ongoing information to rescue. (Had it been a regular bus without an attendant, of course CPR to student would take precedence after initial call)

So the attendant was giving CPR. they have same training as driver. What difference does it make. For all we know, the driver and attendant were taking turns and the attendant was administering CPR when help arrived.

Some students on these buses are very fragile. The parents, medical, admins and the student make an informed decision about how they wish to live whatever lives they have. And sometimes a medical emergency happens at home, at school or in between.

It is very sad that a student died. We do not know if this is an entirely “unexpected” event, so don’t assume it had anything to do with riding a school bus.

Middle school dismissal is 2:15.

Not the PP to whom you're responding but: Why are people coming back fixated on the time of day this happened and the times of day kids supposedly should or should not be on a bus according to total strangers who post on DCUM?

There are many special bus routes all over the county every day for kids with a variety of situations and needs. I do not see why some posters here seem so suspicious about a child being on a bus at 2 p.m. You have zero idea why that child was on any bus at 2:00, whether the child is in middle or elementary or high school (hasn't been made public), what time the child's school dismisses or (gasp!) whether that child might not have been ruled by the school dismissal time at his school. Some kids at DC's school are special needs and arrive and leave at times different from the rest of the student body. Just let the whole "Middle school dismissal is 2:15!" etc. go, already.

I'm the PP you quoted. I posted that on my phone, but my point wasn't that it was weird for the kid to be on the bus, but that the PP that I was replying too's speculation that it must be a middle schooler was off. It could have been a child of any grade who attended a private school, or had a modified schedule, or a preschooler in a part day program, or a preschooler who only attends for therapy. Lots of options.

I also agree that people need to stop trying to "figure this out". Assuming the article isn't outright lying, then the driver and aid were on the bus, and the bus was in motion when this happened, which is a sign that it wasn't a situation where a child was left on a bus. If it comes out that there was neglect, I'm sure we'll hear about it. Otherwise, we need to respect this family's privacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Not the PP to whom you're responding but: Why are people coming back fixated on the time of day this happened and the times of day kids supposedly should or should not be on a bus according to total strangers who post on DCUM?

There are many special bus routes all over the county every day for kids with a variety of situations and needs. I do not see why some posters here seem so suspicious about a child being on a bus at 2 p.m. You have zero idea why that child was on any bus at 2:00, whether the child is in middle or elementary or high school (hasn't been made public), what time the child's school dismisses or (gasp!) whether that child might not have been ruled by the school dismissal time at his school. Some kids at DC's school are special needs and arrive and leave at times different from the rest of the student body. Just let the whole "Middle school dismissal is 2:15!" etc. go, already.

I think that because so few details have been released, that there is still the fear that the child was left on the bus. Once we know a little more, people will be more understanding.

Given that the incident wasn’t called I until 2 pm, I think it’s unlikely the child was left on the bus. When the child didn’t arrival school, there should have been an an attendance call to a parent that morning. Once the parent reported that the child had gotten onto the bus that morning, the bus would be the first place they would check for him. The odds that this took something like six hours is possible, but unlikely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I wonder if the child fell asleep and was forgotten.

I wondered the same thing. Any updates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like protocol was followed, no? Bus driver pulled over, 911 called, adult aide present, etc? Due diligence was followed...I'm betting the kid was in the middle or back of bus and the aide was sitting in the front chatting with driver oblivious to the fact the remaining passenger was in respiratory distress, seizing, or whatever medical emergency happened.

Um, or the aide saw the emergency beginning, told the driver to pull over and call 911. Medical emergencies can happen quickly and out of nowhere. Unfortunately it may have been too late by the time help arrived.

Why are you betting the aide was paying no attention to the kid? Does it make you feel better to assume the worst of people? How do you think the aide and driver feel after all of this? It doesn't help to have random people on the internet malign them. There but for the grace of G-d go I....

Wow, this. Well said.