It is not safe for students in the Springfield City School District to ride school buses to and from campus, a certified employee who has worked for the district for 50 years told Blaze News' Julio Rosas.
Blaze News chose to keep the employee anonymous after the school district sent an email encouraging employees not to speak to the media, but the email was reviewed by Blaze News.
“Our law enforcement agencies, our fire departments everywhere, are stretching their resources because of this influx.”
The worker told Rosas, “If you value your safety, don't come here. It's not worth it.”
The official said the entire town is “suffering” from the large influx of Haitian nationals who have entered the city in recent years.
The large number of new students is putting a strain on the entire district, with more non-English speaking students entering the school system, officials said.
Officials say the biggest concern facing the district is maintaining safe transportation for students to and from campus.
The Springfield City School District consists of 17 kindergarten through 12th grade schools serving approximately 7,700 students. Website state.
“We want to get our kids to school safely,” the employee told Blaze News. “We want to give you that peace of mind.”
“Unfortunately, we can't control what happens outside.” [the bus]' explained the worker. “All we can control is what happens inside.”
Many local residents have expressed concern that the influx of Haitian nationals into Springfield and surrounding municipalities is leading to a significant increase in traffic accidents, some of which are fatal.
On the first day of school in August 2023, 11-year-old Aiden Clark was killed when the bus he was riding was struck by an unlicensed Haitian driver. Twenty other students were also taken to the hospital as a result of the rollover accident.
School district officials explained that many local residents maintain the bus stop signs.
“It's not just the Haitians who are doing it. It's the people of Springfield, too,” the worker told Blaze News.
The employee explained that the influx of new immigrants was “depleting” the community's resources. According to 2020 census According to the data, Springfield's total population was approximately 60,000 people. But in recent years, about 20,000 Haitian nationals have moved to the city.
“All of our law enforcement and fire departments are straining their resources because of this influx. It's not just in the school district, it's everywhere. It's really bad,” the worker said.
The employee expressed concern that if another serious bus accident were to occur, resources would be strained and emergency services' response time would be slowed down.
Rosas previously interviewed David Cook, owner and operator of a plastic lumber store in Springfield, who said many of the district's students were afraid to return to buses after last year's fatal crash.
School district officials acknowledged that children are afraid to ride buses to school.
“Are the kids on that school bus safe?” Rosas asked.
“No, considering all the factors, external factors,” the employee responded.
The school district did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.
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