News always travels fast, but it is not always accurate, which led to a Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Cy-Fair ISD) bus driver being incorrectly accused of driving erratically while transporting students via a local news station. The district’s superintendent released a social media statement setting the record straight.

On Monday, KHOU-11 published a news article reporting that the unidentified Cy-Fair ISD bus driver was pulled over by police and administered a field sobriety test after a receiving report from a bystander claiming they “saw the bus driving erratically.”

Cy-Fair Superintendent Doug Killian released a statement Thursday defending the school bus driver and clarifying the events.

“On Monday morning, one of our new drivers hit a curb on a tight turn to avoid a vehicle in the opposite lane,” Killian stated. “A community member reported this to Harris County Precinct 5 Constables. Our team reviewed the video of the route multiple times and can definitively say the driver was not driving erratically, as it was reported.”

Killian confirmed the driver was given a field sobriety test twice by law enforcement, as was shown by KHOU-11, and both tests came back negative. The school bus driver was then taken to a clinic for drug and alcohol testing, per district protocol. Killian confirmed those tests also came back negative.

The school bus driver was reportedly back on route Friday.

In the statement, Killian expressed his disappointment in the “click-bait report” that was released by the news station and said that the district is requesting an on-air retraction and apology to the driver.

“The media story created unnecessary embarrassment for this driver and was released prior to the completion of our full investigation. It painted a negative light on the true professionalism of our CFISD bus drivers and transportation staff,” he said.

He continued that while he does not hold out hope that the retraction and apology will happen, he felt it was his duty as superintendent to publicly release the facts of the incident and that he “cannot in good conscience sit by and watch a staff member be attacked or presented in a poor light when their actions were not poor or negatively impactful to kids.”

He explained that after the school bus driver was pulled over, the students onboard behaved well despite the delay, which he attributed to the “quality of our drivers and the high expectations they set for our riders since the first day of school.”

Killian thanked the driver involved for their service and said he encourages the media to report on positive news stories throughout the school year.

On social media, Kilian’s statement was commended by the community for defending the reputation of the driver. One Facebook commenter noted that following the release of the story, “There were so many hurtful and ugly negative comments,” illustrating how a story shared on social media can quickly garner a strong public reaction, even if the facts have not been verified yet.

“This was truly a fantastic example of leadership, accountability, and standing and speaking directly to the people and FOR the people you serve,” said another Facebook comment.

Meanwhile, KHOU published an updated article Thursday noting Killian’s response and the school bus driver passing all drug and alcohol tests, adding, “That criticism came despite the fact that we reached out to Cy-Fair ISD multiple times throughout the day ahead of our story Tuesday night and shared the district’s statement that noted the driver passed two field sobriety tests and an alcohol test, but had been placed on paid leave pending drug test results.”

The news station also reported it asked Cy-Fair for access to the video exonerating the school bus driver, but the request was denied.

Related: NTSB’s Alcohol Impairment Detection Recommendation More Nuanced for School Bus Drivers
Related: Update: Feds Withdraw Oral Fluid Collection for CDL Drug Tests Rule
Related: FMCSA Resources for Implementing Upcoming Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

The post Superintendent Defends School Bus Driver Accused of Erratic Driving, Potential Impairment appeared first on School Transportation News.

School bus drivers from across the U.S. and Canada were presented with the opportunity to showcase their knowledge and skills in the 51st Edition of the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition (SBDISC), presented by Beacon Mobility.

On Saturday, June 28, participating drivers — in one of the three bus categories: small bus (Type A), conventional (Type C), or transit (Type D) — first completed a safety competition orientation class followed by a written test. The skills part of the competition was held at the Hays Consolidated Independent School District transportation facility in Uhland, Texas, where contestants got behind the wheel of a school bus and completed a rigorous road course. Hays CISD was designated as the permanent host of the event.

“Transporting students in the yellow bus remains the safest way to get our students to school each day. The School Bus Driver International Safety Competition highlights the professionalism of our school bus drivers that combines a driving competition within an enjoyable atmosphere,” stated NSTA Executive Director Curt Macysyn. “This yearly event celebrates the cornerstone of pupil transportation – our drivers, who continue to inspire us every day. On behalf of NSTA, I want to extend our thanks to Hays CISD for their support, and we look forward to hosting our competition here next year.”

To be eligible for the international title, drivers must have first competed and won or placed in a state or provincial competition in their bus category within the past year. Winners of the international competition are determined by the highest score in the competition, based on each category. For the first time, the Bill Loshbough Grand Champion Award was awarded to the driver who achieved the overall top score of the entire Safety Competition. This year, it went to Brian Rickmann of Beaverton School District in Oregon.

The awards banquet was held on Sunday, at which the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) honored several drivers who had successfully competed in the SBDISC. All 53 competitors took photographs with NSTA President Dan Kobussen and received a driver’s recognition certificate and plaque denoting their participation in the competition.

“We are pleased to host another edition of the School Bus Driver International Safety Competition, guided by the leadership of Bill Loshbough and Kevin Kilner. This respected event gives school bus drivers from across North America the chance to demonstrate their skills and knowledge while competing to be the best in their field,” stated Kobussen, who owns Kobussen Buses in Wisconsin. “It also represents an opportunity for the school transportation community to come together in a spirited, yet supportive, environment that celebrates excellence and professionalism.”

The following are the winners:

Small Bus (Type A):
First Place: Claudia Christen
Prairie Bus Lines – Alberta, Canada

Second Place: Kathleen Graham
Montgomery County Public Schools, Virginia

Third Place: Erika Gaines
Montgomery County Schools, Tennessee

Conventional Bus (Type C):
First Place: Betty Nelson
Dean Transportation, Michigan

Second Place: Philip Purvis
North East ISD, Texas

Third Place: Jered Winnestaffer
Community Bus Services – Groveport-Madison Schools, Ohio

Transit Bus (Type D):
First Place: Brian Rickmann
Beaverton School District, Oregon

Second Place: Danelle Adams
Roseville Joint Union High School District, California

Third Place: Doralie Cervantes
Cypress Fairbanks ISD, Texas

The post 51st Edition of School Bus Driver International Safety Competition Winners Announced appeared first on School Transportation News.