Following the bus accident that claimed the lives of an adult male and Tom Green Elementary School student on Friday, March 22, Hays CISD and the Tom Green principal have provided updates.
According to principal Jennifer Hanna, there are three staff members and two students known to still be in the hospital as of midday Saturday. There are nine students whose families the school is still trying to contact for updates. For staff members, one is expected to be released soon and two will have much more extensive recoveries ahead. Of the two students in the hospital for whom there is an update, both “appear to be doing well” and remain primarily for observation prior to their anticipated releases in the near future.
Tom Green has canceled school for Monday, March 25, however, the school will be open for students and staff members who want to seek counseling services on a voluntary basis. The campus will have specialized crisis and trauma counselors available to help from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Students who need transportation to attend counseling may call the school to coordinate ride services. The normal school schedule will resume on Tuesday, March 26.
“In the days and weeks ahead, we will face a long road of healing and recovery. Let us come together to provide comfort and solace to one another, offering a shoulder to lean on and listening ear for those who need it most. During this time, I encourage each and every one of you to prioritize self-care and seek support if needed,” Hanna said.
According to Hays CISD Public Information Officer Tim Savoy, the bus involved in the accident was not equipped with seatbelts. The district began buying buses with seatbelts in 2017, when the state law changed for buses purchased in that year and later, but the bus involved was a 2011 model.
“The district hopes that the DPS accident reconstruction investigation will be able to provide more information about whether a seatbelt may have made a difference for the student who died in the accident, but at this time we just don’t know that answer,” Savoy said.
About 40 of Hays CISD’s 200 buses are older than 2017, meaning they do not have seatbelts. According to Savoy, this will be a topic discussed with the district’s Facilities and Bond Oversight Committee in consideration of potentially accelerating the normal Hays CISD bus replacement cycle so that all buses have seatbelts as soon as possible.
The school board meeting scheduled for Monday, March 25, 2024, has been canceled “to allow staff who would ordinarily be preparing materials for the meeting to attend to needs supporting the Tom Green campus.” The meeting will be rescheduled for a later date yet to be announced.
For those wanting to help, a former Tom Green Elementary teacher, Molly Andrews, who is a community member and member of the Tom Green Elementary School Campus Leadership Team, has set up a GoFundMe account. The money raised will be used to help students and staff with expenses related to healing, off-setting funeral expenses for the student who passed away and other unexpected expenses incurred by families affected by the accident. To help, visit: https://gofund.me/a3c4c9e8.
Additionally, the Hays Education Association TSTA has set up a meal train for the family of the boy who was killed in the accident. It can be found at https://bit.ly/4cvlpL2.
Regarding personal belongings left on the bus or lost at the crash site, the campus will be working directly with those on the bus to return personal belongings, including cell phones, as soon as possible.
Hanna concluded, “As we mourn the loss of our student and support those who are injured, let us remember the strength of our community and the bonds that unite us. Together, we will find the strength to heal. Together, we are Hornet strong.”
This is an ongoing story. Stay tuned to the Hays Free Press for updated information as it becomes available. Prior coverage can be found here.
