Some WJCC Buses Never Made It to School; One Bus Slides Into Ditch

By Amber Lester Wednesday, February 10, 2010

A school bus bound for Clara Byrd Baker never made it this morning after it slid into a ditch on Greensprings near Deer Run. No one was injured.

Some Williamsburg-James City County students never made it to school on Wednesday morning when a fast-moving snowstorm blew over the Historic Triangle around 8 a.m.

In Williamsburg-James City County schools, some buses were forced to turn around when drivers were unable to see the roads. One bus traveling along Greensprings Road to Clara Byrd Baker slid into a ditch, forcing parents to meet the bus and retrieve their children.

Shortly after 10 a.m., WJCC announced elementary students traveling to school when the storm hit were being sent back to their neighborhoods. The students were traveling to Matoaka, Matthew Whaley, Clara Byrd Baker, Rawls Byrd and Norge elementary schools.

If parents are not available to meet their elementary school students at the bus stops, the buses will return the students to their schools until parents are able to pick up their children.

WJCC announced early dismissal plans around 9:15 a.m. All students were scheduled to be dismissed by 2 p.m., with the Academy for Life and Learning closing the latest at 1:50 p.m.

Despite multiple pileups and restricted travel on many Triangle roadways, WJCC Superintendent Gary Mathews said division bus drivers "are reporting that a slow run works."

WYDaily reporter Desiree Parker, whose son was on the Clara Byrd Baker bus, reported the driver was struggling to turn around in her neighborhood around 9 a.m. When the bus driver attempted to turn on Greensprings Road, she slid to a stop in a ditch. No one on the bus was injured, but Parker said some students were crying and one comforted the bus driver, telling her it wasn’t her fault. Shortly after, Clara Byrd Baker teachers called parents to say the buses were turning around to bring students home.

Parents received a call from the school system around 10:20 a.m. to let them know elementary students would be returning home. By that time, the children on the bus destined for Clara Byrd Baker had been home for an hour, Parker said.

WJCC spokesman Greg Davy said many school bus drivers pulled their vehicles to the side of the road during the worst of the storm in the interest of safety. One school bus was involved in a minor accident in the Chickahominy Haven neighborhood when a pick-up truck struck the bus on the front driver’s side. The bus sustained minor damage. There was one student, the driver and a bus attendant on board; no one was injured.

Davy said school officials made the decision to open schools based on weather reports from late last night. Weather reports had called for a light snowfall turning to rain, he said.

James City County used its new JCC Alert program to send a text message and e-mail to subscribers recommending JCC residents stay off roads and highways due to low visibility and hazardous driving conditions. The message was sent around 9:45 a.m. To sign up for the new service, which alerts subscribers of emergencies, go to http://www.jccalert.org.

In York County, schools remained open based on recommendations from the York County Emergency Management office. Around 10 a.m., York schools Chief of Operations Carl James said, “Their advice is that the storm will pass, the weather should get warmer and it will give VDOT time to respond to worsening conditions. We’re holding tight.”

Later in the hour, York County parents received voicemail messages saying the school system planned to keep students in school but had instructed school bus drivers to assemble at the high schools to be ready to go. All after-school activities are canceled.