Parents concerned over ‘unusual’ bus ride home from Westfield school

WESTFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - We’re learning some students had an unusual ride home from a Westfield school on Monday afternoon.

A parent told us that on the way home from from Westfield Intermediate School, his step-daughter got off her bus at the city’s senior center with other students instead of at her normal bus stop.

This after he claims the driver missed route stops. Meantime the district’s superintendent said the missed stop was due to rowdy behavior.

A Westfield public school parent, who asked to remain anonymous reached out to Western Mass News, concerned about his step-daughter’s ride home from school.

“My wife was texting me letting me know what was going on she was getting worried because it was past the time she usually gets home,” expressed the parent.

When his wife stepped outside, the fifth grader was walking home from the opposite direction of her usual bus stop near their house.

“Today the bus driver I guess he missed a couple of students bus stops,” added the parent. “So the kids started getting anxious saying that he missed the stops I don’t know if he was getting frustrated I don’t know the situation but he said he was just going to be turning around and returning the students to the school.”

He told Western Mass News, the bus driver stopped at the city’s senior center where his 10-year-old step-daughter, and other students got off. He told us she had to walk about a mile to a mile and a half and cross a busy road to get home.

“I’d just like to know what happened... Somehow figure outa way its not going to happen again,” said the parent.

Westfield Public Schools’ Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski told us Monday’s driver was a substitute, while he can’t comment on the specific incident, he said as he watched the tapes of Bus 32. He learned the driver missed the first stop due to the students being “extremely rowdy.”

His email reading in part:

“He pulled over to ask the students to settle down or he was going to turn around and take them back to school because of their behavior. He made the second scheduled stop and several students got off the bus there rather than go back to the school. At that point, the bus settled down and the driver finished the run rather than return to the school as he had said he would do if the behavior did not improve...It is starting to look like the students involved might have reported something different to their parents so that they would not get in trouble.”

We asked the district parent if he has heard of rowdy behavior on his step-daughter’s bus.

“Not on that bus she’s never really said anything about it,” noted the parent. “They’re pretty calm as far as I can tell. I’ve never heard anything bad about the bus. I shouldn’t say bad but behavior wise-bad I mean they’re kids they hoot and holler but nothing excessive.”

The incident remains under investigation.

The principal of Westfield Intermediate School emailed to parents and guardians of riders of Bus 32 apologizing for the worry that the ride may have caused, emphasizing the importance of student safety and reassuring that the incident will be addressed.

Superintendent Czaporowski said if a driver does something questionable while transporting students. Westfield Public Schools has the right to request a driver change.