JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A day after an unidentified adult got onto a school bus with Duval County students and touched a child inappropriately, the district says it is reviewing its contract with Student Transportation of America.
Duval County Public Schools and STA confirmed the driver has been removed from all district routes while the investigation continues.
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In a statement to Action News Jax, the district said it is “extremely disappointed” that STA failed to follow established safety protocols.
“The safety of our students is non-negotiable, and what occurred should not have happened,” the district wrote.
District leaders said they are actively reviewing their contract with the company in light of this incident and two other serious situations this school year. If the investigation finds contractual obligations were not met, the district says it will pursue all available remedies, including corrective action requirements, financial penalties, or reconsideration of the contract.
The district’s contract with STA runs through 2027 for some routes and through 2030 for others.
This marks the third incident involving STA since September. Last month, a student was stabbed by another student on an STA bus. In September, a former STA driver was arrested and accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student.
School Board member Melody Bolduc said safety has to come first.
“We never put our students at risk. Safety and security of our students is first and should have been first,” Bolduc said. “Until this is completely investigated and we have more information, it would be difficult to say anything else, but for parents, the safety and security of our students is first.”
Bolduc also said the district is legally required to transport students, and drivers may not always recognize every child when some students ride occasionally or if a student is a first-time rider.
“We can’t leave those students behind. We have to provide a safe way for them to get to school,” she said.
The district says it is requiring immediate corrective measures from STA, including retraining, supervisory review, and verification of compliance with district safety standards.
Leaders say that if confidence in the company’s ability to safely transport students cannot be restored, they will take appropriate action.[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
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