TOLEDO, Ohio — Parents of Washington Local Schools students are concerned that the busses their kids are taking to get home from school are overcrowded to the point where some don't even have a seat.
Multiple photos shared with WTOL 11 seem to show students crammed into an aisle on what appears to be a Washington Local Schools bus.
The parent who shared one of the photos says the overcrowded bus problem has her concerned about her kids' safety.
"It's gross, gross negligence on the school's part and the administration's part," said parent Jessica Morrin. "There is absolutely no reason for these children to be packed into these buses like sardines."
Morrin, who's son is a freshman in Washington Local School District says its very frustrating to know this is what his ride home looks like.
"Not everybody has the ability to take their child to school or pick them up from school. That is what transportation is for," said Morrin. "And we're supposed to feel safe knowing that our children are safe. We are supposed to be able to trust our school district. And at this point, I don't know that there is a bit of trust."
Morrin says she hopes some action is taken soon, especially as the seasons change.
"Our winters get harsher, but it needs to be addressed and it needs to be fixed immediately. There's no reason for this to take time," said Morrin.
Morrin says this isn't the first year this has been a problem.
"Their safety is supposed to be a priority to them. Clearly, over the last three years, their safety has not been a priority because they have done nothing to fix this to accommodate these children. I don't know why they haven't even tried to maybe work something out. There's resources.," said Morrin.
WTOL 11 reached out to Washington Local Schools for comment. The district released this statement:
At the start of each new school year, Washington Local spends the first few weeks monitoring the number of students riding each bus to ensure that buses are not over capacity. It is not unusual for adjustments to be made once there is a clear picture of ridership on each bus.
As we continue to assess our routes during these early days, we always appreciate parents reminding students about expected bus behaviors, including remaining seated at all times, so we may take head counts and make adjustments.
Parents dropping their kids off at school can help by keeping a safe distance and being aware of buses loading and unloading children. We are also always hiring bus drivers at wls4kids.org
The safety of our students remains our top priority, as WLS Transportation transports students to and from school each day.
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