A family in Memphis, Tennessee, is suing Germantown School District after Dogwood Elementary School allegedly prohibited their son’s service dog from returning to school, reported WREG 3.

Their 9-year-old son is nonverbal, has physical and intellectual disabilities, and suffers from 10 to 15 seizures a day, among other conditions.

The boy, who is not identified in this writing, reportedly received a service dog named Herbie in the spring. The dog is trained to alert others when the boy is about to have a seizure.

According to the lawsuit filed on Nov. 8, the school claims Herbie spent most of his time at school not in the presence of the boy, sniffing others, eating their food, and ignoring commands. The school also claimed that the dog had caused the boy to fall twice.

The article states that the parents, who claim Herbie is well behaved at home, tried to work with the school but the principal told them that the dog was no longer welcome. This would be a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

The district stated via the article that it has allowed service animals in its schools for several years and will continue to do so. Additionally, the district denied any allegation of violating ADA and Section 5

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The devastation of Helene is being felt across the Southeast U.S. as the death toll was over 200 and counting with communities across a half-dozen states were left underwater, without power and cell service.

According to local news reports, at least 20 locations in western North Carolina received record rainfall that reached the 1,000-year flood threshold. Statistically speaking, flooding of this magnitude or greater has a 1 in 1,000 chance of occurring in any given year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

As of Thursday, over half of the 215 recorded deaths at that time had occurred in North Carolina, with the Asheville area the worst hit. Florida, where Helene made landfall last Thursday, announced at least 19 deaths. Georgia confirmed 33 deaths, South Carolina counted 41 deaths so far and Georgia 33 deaths. Florida, where Helene made landfall last Thursday, has at least 19 deaths, Tennessee, 11 and Virginia, two.

Gov. Ron Desantis released a statement confirming that emergency responders had to bulldoze four to five feet of sand off road to clear bridges and causeways along Florida’s Gulf Coast due to storm surges and flooding.

Patrick Sheehan, director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, told local journalists that over 100 people were confirmed missing with the number expected to grow.

Additionally, the Tennessee Department of Transportation said on their website that they have inspected over 100 bridges in 36 hours. Officials still have hundreds more to check.

State departments of transportation are also working around the clock to evaluate and repair highway infrastructure that ahs been closed due to being washed out if not completely destroyed, reported Roads & Bridges.

According to the National Weather Service, there are some concerns about additional landslides as precipitation could produce more runoff that can potentially result in unstable slopes across mountainous terrains.

In a statement, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced he would be deploying resources from the state’s emergency management agency and National Guard to North Carolina. Additionally, both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont will also be assisting in recovery efforts.

Subsequently, many school districts across these states announced closures of at least a week via social media. It was unclear in this report the extent of any damage to the district school buses and transportation operations across the Southeast.

Schools in several counties in North Carolina stated that poor road conditions as well as communications and electrical disruptions have impeded its reopening. Some districts have considered e-learning.

Carter County Schools in Tennessee said it be closed until Friday but will be providing food services across the county to families. Additionally, Jasper County School District in South Carolina also served bagged lunches at some of their campuses on Tuesday.

Asheville City Schools in North Carolina released a statement on social media announcing an indefinite closure. The district is working closely with first responders and county officials to set up a free Wi-Fi and a charging station in the main parking lot of the middle school.

District superintendent Dr. Maggie Fehrman sent a message thanking those that have been working nonstop during their recovery process.

A spokesperson for Daimler Truck North America, parent company of Thomas Built Buses, told School Transportation News that plants in the Carolinas are operating although not all are at full capacity.

Statement from Daimler Truck North America

 

Our thoughts are with everyone affected by Hurricane Helene. We wish everyone a full and speedy recovery.

 

At this time, all of our plants in the Carolinas are operational; not all are at full capacity. The Freightliner Custom Chassis plant in Gaffney, South Carolina, lost power due to the storm, but has since recovered. While we and our suppliers are assessing the impact on infrastructure and operations, we anticipate supply chain disruptions as some key components are manufactured in the affected areas.

 

DTNA has donated $100,000 to the Red Cross Hurricane Helene Relief Fund and has opened additional relief channels through Daimler Truck Cares.

Additionally, the spokesperson shared that Thomas Built Buses partnered with Carolina Thomas and Operation Airdrop to “stuff the bus” with needed supplies for the region.

Carolina Thomas, LLC said via social media that to support relief efforts they partnered with Operation Airdrop to fill buses with essential supplies and take them to drop-off centers throughout the week. Thomas Built Buses also confirmed via social media that they will be joining this partnership to help deliver essentials. Operation Airdrop is a non-profit organization that focuses on organizing general aviation assets in the aftermaths of natural disasters.

A spokeswoman for Blue Bird said school bus manufacturing facilities in Fort Valley, Georgia were “minimally affected” by Helene and that the company sustained no “lasting issues.” She added that all employees were safe and accounted, but the company remained “deeply saddened to see the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

“Our thoughts go out to those impacted both in Georgia and beyond.”

The Quartz Corp., a Norway-based company that makes semiconductor chips used in automobiles, has two mining facilities located in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, about an hour outside of Asheville. They both shut down due to widespread flooding, power and communications outages.

The company released a statement on Tuesday announcing it faces multiple challenges and has no visibility on when operations will restart.

School Transportation News continues to monitor the situation in the Southeast and will provide further updates as the information is made available.

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The post Updated: The Aftermath of Hurricane Helene Across the Southeast U.S. appeared first on School Transportation News.

A family is displaced after a school bus crashed into their apartment, reported Action News 5.

The incident reportedly occurred Wednesday morning, when a Memphis-Shelby Couty Schools bus crashed into an apartment building off Homer Street. The driver was apparently experiencing a medical emergency and lost control of the vehicle.

According to the news report, Sandy Gramajo and her 15-year-old son Jose were both inside the apartment at the time of the crash. Fortunately, none of them were hurt.

The family moved to Memphis from Guatemala in search of a better life and have only been in the U.S. for five years. The family is now in need of assistance and a new home, after the bus left a huge hole in Gramajo’s bedroom. The impact of the vehicle was felt throughout the complex.

The Memphis Police said that two adults and two juveniles were taken to the hospital in non-critical condition.

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A 6-year-old Liberty Elementary School student fell asleep on his school bus and woke up to find himself alone, reported WSMV 4.

According to the news report, the Tennessee Clarksville-Montgomery County school bus was transporting the child to his school when he fell asleep and did not unload from the bus with the other students.

The bus driver reportedly drove the bus back to the parking lot after the morning drop-off and failed to thoroughly check the bus, as the district requires to be done after each route.

The child remained unattended on the bus until a maintenance worker noticed the boy was still on the bus and took him back to school. The parents were reportedly notified by the school and briefed on the incident.

According to the article the driver was placed on an alternative worksite, pending investigation by the school district’s human resources department.

Related: Louisiana Child Left Alone in School Bus for 5 Hours
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Related: Tennessee Student Hurt, Driver Cited After Nearly Crashing School Bus into Home
Related: Tennessee School Bus Driver Dies in Crash

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Transit Technologies, a visionary in transforming public and private mobility, has acquired Bytecurve, a student transportation management software company known for its simple yet powerful platform for school districts and school bus operators. The acquisition adds the important student transport technology solution to the Transit Technologies comprehensive mobility platform.

Bytecurve’s founders have more than 30 years of combined experience in the Transportation industry, with expertise in the Student Transportation operations sector, understanding the challenges of transporting millions of students to and from their schools safely and on time, with little margin for error. The company’s solutions are designed to address these challenges with targeted tools to help improve operations, lower operating costs, enhance reliable communications with schools, students and guardians, and keep students safe.

“This is more than a strategic expansion; it’s a leap towards a future where transit is more efficient, reliable, and inclusive,” said Gerry Leonard, CEO of Transit Technologies. “By integrating Bytecurve’s advanced platform, we continue to set new benchmarks for what software can accomplish for student mobility, safety and efficiency. Bytecurve adds significant value to Transit Technologies’ expansive technology platforms, which serve more than 3,000 clients worldwide.”

GP Singh, CEO and Founder of Bytecurve, added, “It’s gratifying to join such an esteemed alliance of mobility solutions as Transit Technologies. This combination will allow Bytecurve to bring their innovative platform and service to the broader transportation industry.”

The synergy between Bytecurve’s innovative software solutions for the K-12 market and Transit Technologies’ market-leading platforms for fixed route, demand response, safety and compliance and non-emergency medical services will contribute significantly to Transit Technologies’ ultimate mission to revolutionize mobility and meet the evolving demands of modern transportation systems.

About Transit Technologies:
Transit Technologies is at the forefront of revolutionizing mobility, connecting communities, empowering individual journeys, and eliminating the transit equity gap. Since its inception, the company has been dedicated to blending powerful technology to optimize routes, ensure timely schedules, and empower riders, drivers, and fleet managers with safe and innovative mobility and transit operations solutions.

About Bytecurve:
Bytecurve is a leading provider of innovative software solutions for the school bus transportation industry. Bytecurve360 is a comprehensive dispatch and payroll platform designed to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and enhance communication for school districts.

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