Bus route changes coming to Sussex Hamilton schools after boy’s death

The Sussex Hamilton School Board voted unanimously Monday to adjust bus routes after a deadly incident during a routine shuttle transfer on Jan. 2.Finn Katona, 5, was hit and killed by a school bus in the parking lot of Silver Spring Intermediate School as he was transferring shuttles to get to Willow Springs Learning Center.The change approved Monday adds four buses exclusively for Willow Springs, so the 4K students won’t have to change buses. The district previously made a change to the bus routes on Jan. 6 following the incident where Willow Springs bus riders would be dropped off first before the older children.However, Superintendent Dr. Paul Mielke said this adjustment was causing traffic backups and students to be late to class.”That would go from 27 buses down to 4 that would eliminate our traffic issue that we would have and it would allow the other students to come back to their schools on time,” Mielke said.Robert Hildebrandt said his 4-year-old daughter was friends with Finn; he’s hoping there will be lasting change to prevent a tragedy like this in the future.”She’s been very upset. She was pretty close to him in class. They played together, and it’s just been really tough for her,” Hildebrandt said. “It could have happened to any of the kids. And I’m, you know, I feel sorry for the parents and the child that it did happen to.”Parents should be getting the preliminary bus routes by Jan. 29. The district’s goal is to have the bus routes in play by Feb. 10.
The Sussex Hamilton School Board voted unanimously Monday to adjust bus routes after a deadly incident during a routine shuttle transfer on Jan. 2.
Finn Katona, 5, was hit and killed by a school bus in the parking lot of Silver Spring Intermediate School as he was transferring shuttles to get to Willow Springs Learning Center.
The change approved Monday adds four buses exclusively for Willow Springs, so the 4K students won’t have to change buses.
The district previously made a change to the bus routes on Jan. 6 following the incident where Willow Springs bus riders would be dropped off first before the older children.
However, Superintendent Dr. Paul Mielke said this adjustment was causing traffic backups and students to be late to class.
“That would go from 27 buses down to 4 that would eliminate our traffic issue that we would have and it would allow the other students to come back to their schools on time,” Mielke said.
Robert Hildebrandt said his 4-year-old daughter was friends with Finn; he’s hoping there will be lasting change to prevent a tragedy like this in the future.
“She’s been very upset. She was pretty close to him in class. They played together, and it’s just been really tough for her,” Hildebrandt said. “It could have happened to any of the kids. And I’m, you know, I feel sorry for the parents and the child that it did happen to.”
Parents should be getting the preliminary bus routes by Jan. 29. The district’s goal is to have the bus routes in play by Feb. 10.
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