The following letter to the editor is in response to one posted on Jan. 15 on the NPJ: natchitochesparishjournal.com/2025/01/15/letter-to-the-editor-issues-with-ecco-ride-driver

I am writing to bring attention to an alarming incident involving my daughter and ECCO Rides, an issue that I believe highlights a broader concern about the safety of our children’s transportation to and from school.

On my daughter’s first day back at public school in Natchitoches, we were informed of her bus route and the bus driver that morning. At dismissal, she boarded that bus. At 4:16 PM I received a less than polite call from ECCO informing me that my child was supposed to be on a different bus and that I needed to pick her up from the Chevron in Robeline in 20 minutes. At one point, the ECCO representative wanted me to meet the bus in Marthaville!

As a working parent, I had to abruptly leave my job to drive to Robeline to wait in the parking lot of the Chevron for 20 minutes before finally getting my hysterical child off the school bus.

This experience has left me deeply concerned not only for my daughter’s safety but for the safety of other children who rely on the school bus system. Parents place their trust in schools to safeguard their children during transit, and that trust should not be compromised by careless and easily preventable errors.

I hope that sharing this incident will spark necessary discussions and prompt action. Our children’s safety should always be the highest priority.

Sincerely,
Leah Summers Bodenhamer
MOM