ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. -- You trust them to take your children to school and bring them home safely.
But, some St. Lucie County bus drivers have had a hard time keeping their eyes off their phones and on the road.
Last month, WPTV reported that one St. Lucie County substitute bus driver was fired after a picture emerged of the bus driver using their cell phone while students were on the bus.
Now, the St. Lucie County School District is confirming six of their drivers have been investigated this school year for using their phones behind the wheel. One was fired.
“I mean, did you not read the handbook?” said parent Jennifer Conway. Her son snapped the photo that showed a bus driver using their phone.
“The audacity of you to pick up a phone, basically to me as a parent, you’re telling me you don’t value my child’s life,” Conway continued.
“It’s very serious. It’s very serious. It jeopardizes our children’s safety,” said St. Lucie School District Superintendent, Wayne Gent.
The St. Lucie County School District confirms that bus drivers are allowed to have their phones on the buses.
They’re only allowed to use the phones once the bus is in park.
“You trust they’re going to do the right thing. There are cameras on there,” Gent said.
But the cameras may not necessarily be a deterrent. Gent wasn’t sure how often, or even if the cameras are ever checked randomly to check on bus drivers.
“I’m not aware that we do that,” Gent said.
The investigations have been sparked by student or parent complaints.
“The students have their cell phones. If they see something that's going on inappropriately, they’re going to take a shot of that. Then we have to look into it and investigate it,” Gent said.
Gent says there are hundreds of bus drivers for the district that are driving safely to his knowledge. A public records request shows the district has nearly 380 drivers.
“So, six have made wrong decisions, but the majority of them do what’s called upon them to do everyday,” Gent said.
An Indian River County School District spokesperson says their district received just one complaint this year of a bus driver using a cellphone behind the wheel. That driver was fired.
Martin County says they have not received any complaints or completed any similar investigations.
