Boston releases school bus safety review after 5-year-old student's death in April
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent of Schools Mary Skipper announced a number of changes Thursday with the release of an independent review of school bus safety in the city. It was launched after the death of 5-year-old Lens Arthur Joseph, a kindergarten student from Hyde Park who was hit and killed by a school bus in April.
The entire report can be found on the City of Boston's website.
Joseph, a student at UP Academy in Dorchester, was hit by a bus on Washington Street on April 28. His uncle told WBZ-TV that he was trying to cross the road after being dropped off by the school bus.
"The city of Boston will do everything in our power to make sure that every child is safe in our city. And that every Boston family is confident that their children will be safe at school and on their way to and from school," Mayor Wu said.
Lawyers representing Joseph's family released a statement on Thursday.
"We appreciate this report and the hard work that went into it. Some very alarming deficiencies were identified. We remain hopeful that changes can be implemented to prevent any other future, horrific tragedies," the family said.
Wu says driver "should not have been on the road"
Boston Public Schools announced in May that the driver, Jean Charles, had an expired school bus certificate at the time of the incident. Charles was a driver for Transdev, which the city said hires, trains and is responsible for ensuring drivers have the required training and certification.
"However, our own review and understanding of the facts as they have emerged make it clear that the driver involved on April 28 should not have been on the road that day," Wu said on Thursday.
Charles was scheduled to appear at a due process hearing shortly after Joseph's death, but resigned before it started.
"In the immediate aftermath of the April 28 accident. Transdev conducted an audit of all drivers and confirmed that all drivers on the road had valid and up-to-date licenses and certifications," Skipper said.
Wu said the city will perform more unannounced visits to bus yards. The mayor also said the city increased the number of school bus trainers from 11 to 15 and will maintain that staffing level.
Boston Public Schools Transportation and Transdev leadership team members have added daily meetings where they review all accidents or safety incidents from the day before and what follow-up measures are being taken.
"We're committed to learn from the report and to decisively implement the recommendations so that we ensure that the transportation is as safe as possible while we await the District Attorney's implementation conclusions," Skipper said.
The bus company will be required to provide an updated roster of drivers and their credentials at the beginning of each school year.
Boston officials want state to take over
Boston City Councilors grilled Boston Public Schools and Transdev at a meeting on Thursday.
"The death of a child is what made us just react. And why did it take the death of a child to react?" Councilor Erin Murphy said.
Councilor Ed Flynn said that he wants the state to take over the school busing just one week before classes start.
"I don't have confidence going into the school year that we have a good plan. I don't have any confidence at all in Transdev. None whatsoever," Flynn said.
The contract with Transdev was renewed in 2023, as it was the only bidder for the job. Wu said that rather than cancel the contract, they are working with the company to make busing safer.
"We are committed to working with our BPS partners and the union representatives to continue making progress here in Boston," Transdev COO Lauren Skiver said at the meeting.
Joseph's father and cousin were also at the council meeting. The family has also filed a civil suit against Transdev and the bus driver, Jean Charles, for motor vehicle negligence. No criminal charges have been filed against the company or the driver.
Independent review into Boston bus policies
Attorney Natashia Tidwell, who was previously a federal prosecutor and police officer and now specializes in external investigations, was hired by the city to conduct the review.
According to Transdev, Charles had worked at the company since May 2023. Transdev said Charles had the necessary qualifications to renew his certification, but did not do so.
The conclusion of Tidwell's report says that even if every measure put into place by Boston officials is executed, there's no guarantee that a similar incident won't happen again.
"The improvement opportunities identified in this Report do not explain why tragic events like the April 28 Incident happen. Sadly, the related recommendations, even if wholly adopted and perfectly implemented, cannot prevent recurrence," the report read. "In preparing the above observations and recommendations, the Investigators were mindful of the tremendous undertaking involved in providing safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to more than 22,000 BPS students each day. The Investigators found the individuals tasked with day-to-day management and 21 implementation of the BPS/Transdev contractual relationship to be hard-working and sincerely dedicated to a mission that is seemingly overwhelming in its scope."
Transdev response
"The tragic accident that took the life of Lens Joseph in April is heartbreaking. Our entire Transdev community shares the commitment to do all we can to ensure this never happens again," the company said in a statement Thursday.
"As a global transportation provider, we know that safety is not a static function but a dynamic, critical part of our operations that we must continuously seek to improve. We appreciated the opportunity to participate in the review of the systems, training, and safety protocols included in the report and are committed to working with our partners in the city, with the Boston Public Schools, and union representatives to continue making safety our top priority as we transport the 22,000 school children in Boston every day."