Bus drivers actions concern parents about childrens safety

ASCENSION PARISH, La (NBC33) — One bus driver for the Prairieville Primary School has parents up in arms about the way she handles the kids. There have been two instances where one parent says, they became uneasy when their daughter told her what happened on the bus ride home.

“Ever since school started my daughters been upset that she doesn't like the bus driver she hollers and yells and everything else," said Jodie a concerned parent.

Jodie's upset with her six year old daughters’ bus driver. In two different situations, the "blue bus" diver for Prairieville Primary did something unusual, which alarmed parents. "So I was informed a couple weeks ago the bus on ten bus route pulled in front of a house the bus driver got off the bus went inside the house shut the door was in there long enough to feel the need to have someone check on the kids," stated Jodie. She says the person who stepped onto the bus also called the children a vulgar name.

"It may have been a stranger to the kids but it wasn't a stranger," says Johnnie Balfantz, who works for the Ascension Parish School Board. The Ascension School Board will not release any information about the circumstance. But in a separate situation the driver left the kids unattended in a parking lot.

“She doesn't care about the children it’s just a job, just for money that’s it,” noted Jodie.

And the Ascension School Board says they were the ones who gave her permission to leave the bus. "Anytime we take a complaint from a parent or anyone in the community we investigate ad research exactly what the complaints about and if it warrants and investigation or not," says Balfantz.

Jodie, along with other parents, is worried this driver could become a danger if action isn't taken. "It just seems like she's getting a slap on the hand."

Both situations are being looked into further by the ascension school board. Any information they learn will not be released and they also can’t release any information about any action that is taken against the driver.