First Student: "We Dropped The Ball"

By: Randi Hempel | WSAV News 3
Published: November 18, 2009

A mom calls News 3's Randi Hempel for help after First Student and the Savannah-Chatham County School district don't respond to her concerns about her son not being brought home from school as well as late and no-show buses. First Student and district officials admit it's their fault and First Student officials say "we dropped the ball."

First Student contract manager, Randy Samples, talked to me on Tuesday. He said that he was unaware of the situation. (click here for the mother's concerns.) Samples tells me that the company was in the process of adjusting routes and there was a breakdown of communication between bus drivers. Instead of going to pick up the May Howard Elementary School students who ride on route #134, the buses went back to the yard they park in on the west side of town. Folks who answer the phones at First Student told mom, Laura Schexnayder, that the students were already dropped off. That sent a wave of panic over mom since she was at work and her child wasn't home.

Schexnayder wanted answers from supervisors, but nobody called her back. District officials didn't respond to the concerns either.

Attached is the interview with Samples.