Trish Bennett, Editor
CIRCLEVILLE – A bus driver for Circleville City Schools has been placed on paid administrative leave after reportedly leaving two preschool students on a bus in the parking lot for about an hour.
The driver has not yet been named pending completion of investigations by the district and the Circleville Police Department.
According to the police report, the driver dropped off preschool students at Circleville Elementary School at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, then parked the bus in the district’s bus parking lot at 1:30 p.m.
The driver reportedly stayed at the parking lot, but not on the bus, until 2:40 p.m., when she returned to start her next route. That is when she discovered the two preschoolers, ages 3 and 4, both sleeping in their seats.
The transportation director and school superintendent were immediately notified, according to the report.
Jonathan Davis, district superintendent, confirmed Friday the driver had been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident but said he could not comment further.
“Out of respect to the families involved, and because the investigation is ongoing, it would be premature for me to comment at this time,” Davis said.
The district did release a brief statement on Friday, which reads, “Due to state and federal privacy laws, we cannot discuss matters involving students. Student safety is our number one priority, and any time concerns are brought to our attention, we thoroughly investigate all matters of process and protocol to ensure a safe and inclusive learning environment for all of our students.”
The incident is being investigated by the Circleville Police Department as a case of child endangerment.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
