Arrest spurs contention over Lompoc district bus aide training
Less than a week after a Lompoc Unified School District bus aide was arrested, accused of using excessive force to restrain a special needs child, parents are voicing concerns.
Parents have reached out to us, expressing frustration over how the district trains employees and how special needs children are treated.
“It broke my heart to send him on the bus.”
That comes from a Lompoc mom, not comfortable with going on camera, fearing that her child with special needs will be targeted.
“Never any retaliation. there never has been, there never would be. All they need to do is talk to us. all of us are readily available,” said John Karbula, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services for the Lompoc Unified School District.
However, that same parent says she’s voiced concerns with the district multiple times, expressing that there’s a “severe lack of training” and “complete unpreparedness” when it comes to district employees transporting children with disabilities, she says time and time again, nothing is ever done.
“I have to be very very forceful, nothing is swept under the rug. That literally never happens, would never happen. We deal with any issue straightforward so that’s a big no,” said Karbula.
We spoke with another parent who declined an on-camera interview.
The Lompoc mom was recently hired as a substitute bus attendant and she says she only got one hour of training.
“I have no response to that because it’s not a specific thing that even possible to respond to,” said Karbula, when asked about these parents’ concerns.
The district says student safety is a top priority and drivers and attendants have safety meetings with training videos to help educate staff on how to transport students with disabilities.
“They get training on the bus on how to deal with any number of situations that potentially can arise if you’re working really with any student. If they’re transporting special needs students, how to deal with those students in a specific situation the may or may not arise on the bus while you’re transporting those kids,” said Karbula.
School officials confirm that the Lompoc Unified School District Attendant arrested last week and accused of physically abusing a 10-year-old special needs child received that same training.
Parents we spoke with say Arthur Carlos had been asking for more training for a while and he was not a new hire like the district stated.
“We emphasize to our attendants and drivers how important their role as they have daily interactions with these kids and whether or not those kids have a successful day at school can in part depend on the interaction they have with those adults,” said Karbula.
The concerned anonymous parents want to make sure their child’s emergency cards are on the busses at all times noting that we all need to work together.
