INDIANAPOLIS — For most parents, their child missing the school bus can throw a wrench into the entire morning. A Washington Township mother said it's happening to her and her daughter way too often.
Nichelle Morrison is a single mother and depends on her daughter Linda's bus driver to get her to school after she leaves for work in the morning. Morrison said dozens of times, her daughter has not made it onto the bus due to the driver arriving 20 minutes early or not at all.
"There's been a incident or two where my daughter will be standing there and she's not stopping," Morrison said. "Oh, yes, I have to have it. It's the only was shes guaranteed to make it to school on time every day."
The Washington Township Schools Transportation Department said there were issues during the first weeks of school, but all problems with Linda's bus to sixth grade were ironed out in the fall.
"There will be moments of it getting better and then shortly after it's right back to not coming," Morrison said.
Morrison said she has had numerous conversations with school and transportation officials, but she said it is not clear when the bus is supposed to arrive. RTV6 took Morrison's concerns to the Washington Township Schools Transportation Department, which provided GPS data proving Linda's bus has been arriving on time for her 8:48 a.m. pick-up.
On Monday, the bus driver waited 13 seconds, another 13 seconds on Wednesday and 16 seconds Thursday morning. The district said only on Tuesday of this week was the bus late to a substitute driver running 12 minutes behind, but Linda was not at the bus stop. We showed that same data to Morrison.
"Oh my God, you've done fabulous," she said. "It just would be nice if I could get that same kind of assistance when I call myself."
The district said this kind of confusion can be avoided when parents use the Here Comes The Bus app, which alerts parents and students when the school bus is nearby. For now, Morrison is considering sending her daughter to school in a taxicab.
The district's transportation director said he plans to personally be at Linda's bus stop to ensure a taxi isn't necessary.
"But if that's what I gotta do to so she's not either late or absent, then that's just what I'm gonna have to do. I've got no choice," Morrison said.
