An 8‑year-old girl died Wednesday after suffering a possible heart attack on a school bus.
The circumstances of the death have prompted Newhallville Alders Alfreda Edwards and Brenda Foskey-Cyrus to call for a hearing by the Board of Alders Education Committee into the protocols bus drivers follow when medical episodes occur.
Edwards, a friend and neighbor of the girl’s family, said she was under the impression that the bus driver never called 911 when the girl slumped over and fell unconscious.
The episode occurred after school on Monday. The girl was taking the bus home from Lincoln-Bassett School. At one point during the ride she slumped over.
Her grandmother, who is raising the girl and said the girl had a heart condition, was waiting for her on Sheffield Avenue down the block from the bus stop. The grandmother (who asked that the family’s names not be disclosed) said that students on the bus directed the driver to the grandmother, so the driver brought the girl directly to the grandmother.
“When she pulled up, the bus driver’s telling me that [the girl is] on the bus and they can’t wake her up,” the grandmother said.
She said no one had called 911. So her adult son called and then raced onto the bus to try to revive the girl through CPR.
She wasn’t revived. She was brought to the hospital. She remained in a coma until passing away Wednesday morning, according to Edwards, who spent time at the hospital with the family.
The grandmother said Lincoln-Bassett, from the principal down to classmates, rallied with support for the family through the ordeal. (Principal Janet Brown-Clayton declined to comment or offer any factual information about the incident.)
Edwards said she’d like to learn more details about what happened on the bus.
“When did she slump? What is the protocol” in those cases? she asked. Why, she asked, wasn’t 911 called?
“It should have been called,” said Foskey-Cyrus.
Details of the event could not be independently confirmed. The Board of Education has launched its own internal review and withheld comments on details. Stephanie Creech, a spokeswoman for the bus company, First Student, declined in a phone conversation and by email to answer any specific questions, even about whether the driver was a substitute, as Edwards said she had heard. Nor would she offer any information about the company’s protocols for drivers in situations like these.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, the school and the community during this difficult time. The safety and well-being of our students is always a priority for us. We are currently reviewing the matter with New Haven Public Schools,” Creech wrote in an email message to the Independent.
School officials have been reviewing a video recording of the incident. Schools spokeswoman Abbe Smith said the system cannot under privacy laws make that recording available for viewing to the press.
Smith issued this statement on behalf of the Board of Ed: “New Haven Public Schools and the Lincoln Bassett community are shaken by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family. The safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority. An investigation into the matter was immediately launched and we are working closely with First Student bus company. In addition to conducting a thorough investigation, we will work with First Student to review policies and procedures regarding emergencies and student safety.”
