Williamsburg County officials continue school bus driver investigation

By: John Sweeney | SCNOW
Published: November 11, 2009

KINGSTREE— Following a three-hour executive session by the board of trustees, members of the Williamsburg County School Board announce it could not comment on the status of recently suspended bus drivers pending an investigation by the administration.

Board chairman, the Rev. Norman Gamble, told those gathered at the meeting Wednesday updates were discussed during the executive session that dealt with what happened on Oct. 30 when bus drivers were almost an hour late in picking up students from district schools.

“The administration is currently investigating each incident and will recommend appropriate action regarding the conduct of the drivers,” Gamble said. “Until that time, the board cannot address these personnel matters prior to recommendation from the administration.”

According to a statement released by the administration last week, 20 bus drivers were suspended for failing to “transport students in a timely manner” the day before Halloween.

Interim Superintendent Linda B. Huell said in the statement that the district was “disappointed by the reaction of drivers who failed to transport students in a timely manner,” saying the move put students in “jeopardy” and that specified drivers were suspended “pending further review.”

The incident goes back to the district’s decision to reevaluate pay practices for bus drivers after it found “discrepancies” between hours drivers worked and those that were paid for earlier this year. The administration was reviewing the district budget after the board passed a deficit budget at the beginning of the fiscal year and is estimated to be $2 million in debt.

The district said bus drivers had been overpaid “in excess of $1 million over a three-year period,” according to last weeks statement.

A spokesperson for the district said the administration was working closely with the State Department of Education Transportation Department to resolve the transportation issue and have the bus schedule running normally as soon as possible.

In another matter, the board voted to authorize its legal council to “take all steps necessary” to settle a lawsuit brought against the district by the “Brown and Gaskin family.” Legal council for the district said the settlement amount would be released at a later date.

Details of that lawsuit are waiting to be released by the administration.