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15 students suspended for vandalizing school bus
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Posted on Oct 27 2005
Fifteen high school students have been suspended for violating school bus regulations this week and have been barred from riding the bus for the next two weeks.
Public School System administrative officer Dorin Salas said the 15 high school students are from Marianas High School and are transported to and from the school to their homes in Chalan Kiya, Chalan Lau Lau, China Town, and Gualo Rai.
Salas said 11 students were caught chewing betel nut inside the school bus, while three others were caught committing the same infractions as well as ripping up the cushions of the bus seats. One student was caught vandalizing the seat covers, said Salas.
The identities of the students were not disclosed in accordance with the Family Education Rights Privacy Act.
Salas said the cost for repairing the upholstery of the damaged seat would amount to at least $230 per seat.
A parent of one of the students visited the Pupil Transportation Office in Lower Base yesterday to request the bus supervisor to allow her daughter to once again ride the bus. Salas said the bus supervisor reminded the parent that they signed a consent form during the start of classes this year about the bus regulations and that in any event that a child is caught vandalizing or violating the bus rules, the parents would be held accountable for the damages. The bus supervisor told the parent that unless she pays for the repair of the seat, her child would not be allowed to ride the bus anymore.
As of yesterday, Salas said only one of the 15 high school students was suspended for two days. The 14 others were suspended indefinitely.
PSS acting Commissioner of Education David M. Borja said the bus supervisor was only doing his job.
“[He was there] to safeguard school property and to prevent costly repairs,” he said, adding that parents would be held accountable and be made financially liable for the repair of the damage in the bus interiors.
Meanwhile, Salas regretfully said that one of the 20 school bus stops that were recently repainted was found vandalized and full of graffiti. The vandalized bus stop is located at the Happy Market bus stop station.
