A mother confronted Fort Worth ISD about the bus driver dropping her child off at the wrong stop on September 28. While speaking about the occurrence at the board meeting, her microphone was cut off.
At the time she was cut off, she was trying to play a video. The meeting then turned tense between parents and school district leaders.
Earlier this school year, Isabel Arreola’s daughter was dropped off at the wrong bus stop in Fort Worth. Arreola stated that the district administrators pushed the blame off of themselves and onto the fact that they were short-staffed. The video she was going to play was of the chaotic atmosphere of one of the buses her daughter was on.
After her audio was cut off, parents in the audience began shouting at the board members, demanding for it be turned back on.
The board stated that they do not allow videos to be played during board meetings. They stated, “We can definitely talk to you afterward.”
According to Fort Worth ISD board president Tobi Jackson, “District procedure does not allow pre-recorded material to be played during public comment.”
Upon taking a two-minute break, the topic of conversation was changed. She told WFAA that after the recess, they resolved the issue with Arreola.
Arreola stated that Fort Worth’s superintendent, Angélica Ramsey, would be dealing with her concerns directly. She is still waiting for an immediate solution to the issue.
This is not an isolated incident for Fort Worth ISD, according to Arreola, they have dropped off students at the wrong stop three times within a single month before; the stops also being blocks away from the children’s homes.
Fort Worth ISD responded by saying that it was an “isolated incident” concerning only that one bus driver who was subbing in for the regular bus driver. The substitute bus driver is “no longer in route.”
