Story posted Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Parents Demand Action
Dist. 57 School Bus Driver Charged With DUI
By RICHARD MAYER Assistant Managing Editor
Dist. 57 board members and administrators, including Supt. Elaine Aumiller (second from left) and Board President Joseph Leane (third from right), listen to the concerns of one of about 25 parents during Monday night’s, Mar. 15 special meeting of the board at Lincoln Middle School. (Tom Wessell/The Journal)
Mt. Prospect Elementary School Dist. 57 Transportation Coordinator Vincente Ramirez has been placed on administrative leave with pay until the investigation of an alleged intoxicated bus driver who drove approximately 110 students home one day last week is completed, district officials confirmed.
Approximately 100 concerned parents packed Lincoln Middle School's gymnasium Monday night demanding board members take immediate action on a matter involving one of district's bus drivers, Betty A Burden, 54, of 1417 N. Park Dr., Mt, Prospect. She was allegedly driving three routes while under the influence of alcohol on Tuesday, Mar. 9. A majority of parents at Monday's meeting wanted to know how something like this could happen.
"Something has to change," emphasized parent Rebecca Kron.
"We entrusted Dist. 57 to come up with something," said parent Ken Lecomte, whose child rode on one of the buses driven by Burden. "I am sorry, but you are dragging your heels. It's a week later," he told the board.
"My biggest concern now is how you are going to be proactive," said parent Misa Edwardsen.
According to Supt. Dr. Elaine Aumiller, the district will create a webpage so parents can report suspicious activity anonymously.
"We will also look at whether it is in our best interest to continue running our own transportation program or look at other options," said Board President Joseph Leane. "As soon as we determine what traditional training needs to be done, we will do that immediately."
Aumiller said the board has received information that Burden may have also been intoxicated the day before during her three afternoon routes---Westbrook at 2:30 p.m., Lincoln at 3 p.m. and Lions Park at 3:35 p.m.
"It has come to our attention that a second employee smelled liquor on Burden's breath on Monday (Mar. 8) prior to her leaving to take kids home," said Aumiller.
On Tuesday, Mar. 9 at approximately 3:58 p.m., Mt. Prospect police reported receiving a telephone call from Ramirez that Burden was operating a school bus allegedly intoxicated.
According to Aumiller, after Ramirez---who has been employed with the district since October 1995---was notified by a co-worker of the alleged intoxication, he boarded Burden's bus around 3:40 p.m. with approximately 50 Lions Park kids on board.
"He could not determine whether she was under any influence, so he got off the bus and followed her in his own car for approximately 20 minutes but did not see any erratic driving," said Aumiller.
At approximately 4:22 p.m., police located the then empty bus traveling northbound on River Road, just north of Euclid Avenue, and performed an investigatory traffic stop.
According to police, officers immediately smelled alcohol on Burden's breath. Police also said Burden admitted to having consumed an alcoholic beverage during the course of the day and later failed all field sobriety tests administered to her. She was placed under arrest for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. Police found no alcohol on the bus.
Burden was transported to the Mt. Prospect Police Dept. where she consented to a breath alcohol test, which registered her blood alcohol concentration at 0.226, police said. The legal limit in Illinois is .08.
"Clearly the decision making was not the best and we are trying to work our way through it and put the process in place to make sure this never happens again," said Aumiller.
Aumiller said Ramirez contacted the district's business manager and his supervisor, Dale Falk, around 5 p.m. on Mar. 9. Aumiller and her staff met with police the following morning to discuss the incident. She emphasized administrators did not know of the alleged two incidents (Monday and Tuesday) until after Burden was arrested.
Aumiller is expected to recommend Burden's termination at the next board of education meeting tomorrow (Thursday) at Lincoln Middle School at 7:30 p.m.
"Trust of parents has been shaken greatly," said Aumiller. "Are their questions satisfied at this point? Not yet and that is understandable. They are outraged and that will sit for a while."
"This whole incident outrages me that the well-being of students was placed in jeopardy," said Leane. "I would ask that parents give us a little flexibility in reporting the information because we are really being overwhelmed with this task in terms with staying on top of the investigation and running the school district. This is the top priority of the district and we are committing all resources we can."
Speak Out!
Comments are edited first by Journal staff before running in print and appearing online.