DOVER, Del.- A new Senate bill proposes making misbehavior on a school bus a charge of disorderly conduct. Interestingly, this proposal is not focused on students.
While student behavior on buses and in school has become increasingly problematic, as noted by bus drivers and legislators, this bill is geared toward parents.
Joel Peterman of Peterman's Bus Service, a contractor for the Milford School District, warns that the school bussing system is in crisis.
"If school bussing keeps going in the direction that it's going, in a very short while there will be no school bussing," Peterman said, citing bad student behavior as a contributing factor.
"As far as discipline with the students, there really isn't any," he added.
However, student behavior is not the only issue. Peterman mentioned several incidents where parents have escalated situations.
"We've had plenty of situations where Johnny did something on the bus, and mom and dad came out saying, 'My kid didn't do this on the bus,' and it turned into a confrontation and argument. Once they are on the bus, you can't drive away," he explained.
According to Senate Bill 330 co-sponsor Sen. Eric Buckson (R-Dover), there are increasing cases where a parent or guardian will get on a school bus and interfere with bus operations.
"This is not something that's unusual. Even though we should expect that it in a civil society, that it is unusual," Buckson stated.
He also noted that current laws provide little recourse for the police in such situations.
"The law was somewhat silent in those aspects. So what this law does is kind of say to the individual who thinks that it's their right to enter the bus and not leave, or to maybe block the path of the bus with their vehicle, that's not their right," he said.
Under the proposed bill, anyone who refuses to get off a school bus when ordered, restricts its movement, or threatens the driver or passengers could be charged with disorderly conduct. The bill was released from committee this week and now heads to the Senate floor.
