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Investigations continue into incident involving student and bus driver

Posted at 6:42 PM, Oct 24, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-24 22:35:01-04

The investigation continues into an incident involving a North Central High School student and a bus driver that sent the driver to the hospital.

Amid conflicting stories about what happened, more witnesses were questioned today. The school district is looking at ways to increase security on buses.

“We are definitely looking at using bus aides to mitigate behavior on the bus,” Superintendent Patrick Jenkins said.

Jenkins says, the district is considering other measures to keep students and bus drivers safe.

“In addition to that, we’re looking at purchasing the next round of buses to have cameras on the bus as well,” Jenkins said. “Which could also help capture any behavior that we have on the bus.”

News of Tuesday’s incident spread around Palmetto quickly. One lady we spoke to says, the best way to prevent an incident like this is to instill discipline in its students.

“I feel like it had a lot to do with it because people let the kids get away with too much,” Beatrice Stelly Noel said. “I think in the first place the driver should have respect. The kids should too, but the driver should have respect because the kids are out of control.”

Jenkins says the board is looking at options to help drivers and students.

“What we’re going to be looking at in the future the board and I have been discussing, possible solutions to mitigate behavior on our buses in St. Landry Parish,” Jenkins said.

The bus driver who witnesses say was punched by a student spoke with north central high’s principal about another incident on the bus before Tuesday, according to Jenkins.

He says the bus driver did not discuss a specific student during that conversation.

Read our original story on the incident here