As per District procedure, when a bus accident occurs, no matter how minor, the Bus Garage will contact “911” immediately.

As soon as the District is informed of the accident, the District will the distribute an initial notification, noting when and where the accident occurred along with any other important information, to the parents/guardians of those students, who were on the bus at the time of the accident. The District will follow-up with additional notifications as the students are assessed. (Note: Given the total number of students on the bus at the time of the accident, it may take some time to contact all parents/guardians directly.)

Upon arriving at the scene, responding emergency medical personnel will assess the situation and determine if any students, who were on the bus at the time of the accident, were injured. If injuries are reported or suspected and the student is in need of medical attention, the District will immediately contact that student’s parent/guardian directly with additional information.

If, at the accident scene, a student shows no signs of injury and is determined by EMS to be “not injured”, the student will be placed on another bus to continue his/her journey to school or home, depending on the time at which the accident occurs.

All students, who are transported to school, will be checked by the School Nurse before reporting to class. If a student reports or shows any signs of injury upon arriving at school, his/her parents/guardians will be contacted immediately. The District will continue to monitor the student until he/she is either picked up by a parent/guardian or reassessed by emergency medical personnel.

For any student, who is taken home after a bus accident, the District recommends that parents/guardians assess the student for any injuries that may not have been reported at the time of the accident. If needed, the parents/guardians may then follow-up with emergency medical personnel or a family physician.

In the event of a bus accident, the District kindly asks that parents/guardians refrain from calling the school and/or attempting to retrieve your child at the scene of the accident, as this may divert our staff from their assigned emergency duties. The District appreciates parents/guardians' patience and cooperation as we make every effort to inform you as quickly as possible of any issues affecting school bus transportation and as we continue our efforts to safely transport students to and from school.

Any specific questions or concerns may be addressed to the Mars Area School District Transportation Office at [email protected].