Education says its investigating student’s removal from school bus

FREDERIKSTED — The Virgin Islands Department of Education (VIDE) is actively investigating an incident involving a student who was removed from a school bus earlier this morning, Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

The student was using transportation services provided by School Busing Inc., a contracted vendor of the VIDE. It is important to clarify that school bus drivers are not employees of the Department of Education. “We regret that this student had to experience being removed from the bus, and the Department is working diligently to gather all the facts surrounding the situation,” VIDE said. “Due to the nature of the incident, which involves the safety and well-being of students and staff, an incident report has been requested to outline the sequence of events and the cause for action. It is crucial that accurate information is obtained to ensure a fair and thorough investigation.”

Initial reports from School Busing Inc. indicate that the student exhibited inappropriate language, unruly behavior, and irate actions that posed a safety concern for other passengers. The bus driver believed these actions could compromise the safety of all on board and, as a result, made the decision to remove the student from the bus. A second bus was dispatched to pick up the student, but the driver was unable to locate him. The school’s administration was immediately notified, and a Virgin Islands Police Department officer subsequently transported the student to the Bertha C. Boschulte campus.