CLEVELAND — The first week of back to school is stressful for parents for many reasons, but Cleveland mom Angela Panzarello says an incident on the first day of school added to hers.
Last Monday afternoon, Panzarello was walking to pick up her twin boys. She pulled out her phone to start recording what she thought would be her children getting home from their first day of school, but she captured something else.
As she walked towards the intersection of Oxford Avenue and Rocky River Drive, she caught a Cleveland Metropolitan School District bus pulling away as her sons were left on the wrong side of the road. The bus driver had pulled away before making sure the boys had safely crossed the street.
"It is a part of the state law that they are supposed to drop the kids off and make sure they safely cross with the stop sign out and the signs flashing," Panzarello told News 5's Caitlin Hunt.
Instead, the two 9-year-olds stood on the side of Rocky River Drive, confused as cars continued to drive past them, as this was their first time on the bus ever.
"[The bus driver] had said basically, 'I told your mom that you need to be here. You guys are going to have to cross," Panzarello said.
In the video, Panzarello can be heard calling across the street to her kids, asking if they were OK and assuring them that this is not how school buses usually work.
That would only be the start of Panzarello's bus woes. She called CMSD to report the incident, and the district said the boys could be picked up the next day at the end of the driveway.
That didn't happen either.
"We stood out here and waited and watched her drive right past," Panzarello said.
So, Panzarello called the district again. This time, the district proposed moving the boys to another bus route, but there was a catch. The boys would be picked up an hour before classes started at Riverside Elementary, even though the Panzarello family lived under two miles from the school.
After speaking with Panzarello, News 5's Caitlin Hunt contacted CMSD via email.
She asked if the bus driver had received any disciplinary action. She also asked for confirmation on whether the boys had been placed on a longer route and whether there were other options to get the boys to school.
A CMSD spokesperson responded with the following statement:
"CMSD is aware of the incident and has worked to fix the issue. We do want to point out that we take the transportation of our scholars seriously, and their safety and security is our top priority."
Panzarello says otherwise. The mom said on Tuesday that she still hadn't offered another solution. She was now helping her sons ride their bikes to school.
That's not sustainable, as Panzarello has her own health issues.
As long as busing is included in her autistic son's individualized education plan, she will continue to advocate for improved transportation.
"I want us to depend on the school for that and for my kids to get home safely," she said.
