In the Springfield City School District, the safety of students commuting via school buses has been called into question, according to an anonymous district employee who spoke to Blaze News' Julio Rosas.
The employee, who has served the district for five years, has raised concerns about the district's ability to ensure the safety of its students amidst a significant influx of Haitian nationals into the city.
As reported by The Blaze, the district employee, whose identity has been withheld due to an email directive from the district discouraging staff from engaging with the media, has painted a grim picture of the situation. "If you value your safety, don't come here. It's not worth it," the employee warned, highlighting the strain the influx has placed on the city's resources. "Our law enforcement, our fire department, everywhere has exhausted its resources because of this influx."
The employee further explained that the city's struggle is not confined to the school district but extends to the entire town. The surge of Haitian nationals, who have made Springfield their home in recent years, has led to an increase in non-English-speaking students entering the school system. This, in turn, has put a strain on the district, which comprises 17 schools from preschool through 12th grade, serving approximately 7,700 students.
The most pressing issue, according to the employee, is ensuring the safe transportation of students to and from school. "We want to safely take your kids to school," the employee stated. "We want to give you that peace of mind." However, the control over safety, the employee lamented, is limited to what happens inside the bus, not outside.
The influx of Haitian nationals has not only strained resources but also led to a significant increase in traffic accidents, some of them fatal. A tragic example is the death of 11-year-old Aiden Clark, who was killed on the first day of school in August 2023 when an unlicensed Haitian driver struck the bus he was riding. The accident also resulted in 20 other students being hospitalized.
The employee revealed that the community's resources are stretched thin due to the influx of new arrivals. The city of Springfield, with a population of nearly 60,000 according to the 2020 Census, has seen an influx of approximately 20,000 Haitian nationals in recent years. "It's not just within the school district, but it's everywhere. It's really bad," the worker stated.
The employee expressed fears that the strained resources could lead to slower response times from emergency services in the event of another serious bus accident. This concern was echoed by David Cook, owner and operator of the Plastic Lumber Store in Springfield, who told Rosas that many students were scared to ride the bus following last year's fatal crash.
When asked about the safety of the children on the school buses, the employee responded, "If you put in all the factors, the outside factors, no." The Springfield City School District, however, has yet to respond to Blaze News' request for comment.
Login