5-year-old Granbury ISD student dies in bus incident, authorities say
Granbury Independent School District is mourning after the death of one of its pre-K students Monday morning, Superintendent Dr. Courtney Morawski confirmed in a letter to parents.
The incident happened at about 6:00 a.m. when a Granbury ISD bus driver by a 66-year-old woman was traveling on Pecos River Drive and stopped to pick up students, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
DPS said as the bus started to pull away, a child ran on the driver's side and then in front of the bus, where he was struck.
DPS said the child, identified as a 5-year-old boy, was transported to a hospital where he died.
Morawski said the student attended Emma Roberson Early Learning Academy. It's home to the district's pre-K program.
"We are heartbroken," Morawski said in a letter. "Please join me in keeping the family and our schools in your thoughts and prayers during this devastating time."
DPS said there were eight other children on the bus at the time of the incident but no other students were injured.
Morawski said the district is working with law enforcement and supporting the families of those involved.
The district said it will have school counselors and staff available to those who need it.
Morawski's full letter to parents:
"It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the news that one of our Emma Roberson Early Learning Academy students passed away this morning due to an incident involving one of our buses. We are heartbroken by the loss of one of our students. Please join me in keeping the family and our schools in your thoughts and prayers during this devastating time. We are working through the incident with local law enforcement and will share more details when they are available but out of respect for the family, we will not share student information at this time. The district has directly communicated with all families of students that were on the bus when the incident occurred; no other students were injured. Our focus remains on supporting the student's family and the Emma Roberson ELA campus at this time. We know students may respond in many different ways to this news, whether they personally knew the student or not. Chaplains, school counselors and staff will be available as needed, and upon parent request, to meet with students and parents grieving over the coming weeks. I know you share in the devastation of this loss and may have many questions. We all have the expectation that students will be safe on our buses and in our district. We are already working to fully understand the situation and will share more information after we have had the time to investigate the incident. Thank you for joining us as we support this family and each other during this tragedy."
