BUFFALO, N.Y. — Three parent groups are speaking out after the superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools released a video last week addressing violence at schools, on buses, and while students are waiting for the bus.
The parents are concerned about student safety, and they want more communication with the district to make sure students are safe at school and while they're waiting for the bus to get home.
Parents from the Buffalo Parent Teacher Organization, the Community Health Worker Parent Association, and the District Parent Coordinating Council say they are increasingly concerned about how safety issues are being addressed at Buffalo Public Schools.
"What we're doing is clearly not working, and it's a system-level issue where there's a high volume of students, they are looking for something to do, and they're engaging in things that they probably shouldn't, right? But they also have a right to be able to hang out safely," said Jessica Bauer Walker, Community Health Worker Parent Association President.
These parents want to focus on finding solutions and want to make sure parents and students are part of that process.
"Why can't the kids get on a bus and leave downtown right away? Like, is there a transportation problem? Is it a problem with the schools not making the kids get on the bus? We need to sit down and have a real conversation about it and stop blaming each other," said Ed Speidel, President of the District Parent Coordinating Council.
Last week, the Superintendent released a video where she said if the behavior continues, the district could revoke student transit passes and bus privileges.
"These sort of ongoing threats of taking bus passes away when we live in a community that is primarily low income and the students are obviously relying on those bus passes, parents may not have a car to get them to school," said Jessica Bauer Walker.
The parents say they have had positive conversations with the district, but say they are slow to come up with solutions.
When reached for comment Monday morning, a spokesperson for Buffalo Public Schools told 2 On Your Side, "Superintendent Williams remains committed to keeping all students and staff as safe as possible, and her message to parents and the community speaks for itself. She is also respectful of all feedback, including from parent stakeholder groups."
"I think, generally speaking, we're not blaming the district on this. We're saying we, as a community, need to understand that there is a high level of violence across the board, a high level of issues around mental health, and our kids need a lot," said Jessica Bauer Walker.
The parents also said many of these problems are not new and they happen every school year. They say more places for kids to go, and more after-school activities, might be a good start.