A CMSD spokesperson told 3News the district is reviewing the resolution and will work with the Cleveland Board of Education to determine next steps.
In Cleveland, the City Council has urged the city’s school district to enhance student safety when boarding and exiting school buses in the face of negligent drivers.
An emergency resolution was approved by the council, emphasizing the importance of equipping every school bus in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District with cameras on the stop arms. These cameras would serve to identify and record drivers who disregard traffic laws by passing buses while they are actively loading or unloading children.
As outlined in the resolution spearheaded by Kevin Conwell, a council member representing Ward Nine, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration highlights that children face the highest risk of injury during the boarding and disembarking process from school buses. The passing of a stopped school bus by a vehicle is not only unlawful but also poses significant danger to the safety and well-being of our children.
The resolution was directed to CMSD CEO Warren G. Morgan. A CMSD spokesperson told 3News the district is reviewing the resolution and will work with the Cleveland Board of Education to determine how to proceed.
“Currently, as a proactive measure, our operations department and transportation team go above and beyond state requirements to ensure our scholars’ safety,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The majority of the time, our drivers implement drop-offs and pick-up measures that are on the residents’ side of the street.”
Sara Elaqad, Board of Education chair, told 3News in a statement that the district has not had “notable challenges” with vehicles ignoring school bus stop arms.
“We take student safety seriously and will continue to apply our resources to that end in a responsible and effective manner,” Elaqad said.
Conwell’s resolution was sponsored by Council President Blain A. Griffin and councilmembers Stephanie Howse-Jones, Danny Kelly, Charles Slife, Richard A. Starr, Michael Polensek, Kerry McCormack and Jasmin Santana.
