RALEIGH COUNTY, W.V. (LOOTPRESS) – A Raleigh County mother wants answers after the county changed her daughter’s bus routine on the second day of school.
According to Sheila Hall-Harman, mother of Eden Harman, 12, the same special needs bus has been picking up and dropping off her daughter in the family’s driveway for the last seven years.
Like always, on August 18, the first day of school, the bus made its way into the driveway; however, that afternoon, Harman received a call from the Department of Transportation for Raleigh County Schools and was told the bus would no longer stop in the driveway but at the end of the road.
Eden is non-verbal and tires easily, leaving her wheelchair-bound at times. She is also on a very regimented schedule and uses pictures to depict what she will be doing throughout the day.
Harman explained that, while this change is nothing to some, it is a dramatic change for Eden.
The first morning the routine was changed, Eden sat in her driveway where the bus usually stops and pointed.
“This is huge. For seven years, she has walked down our steps and got on the bus. She does tire easily, and she will drop for any given reason. If she decides she doesn’t want to walk out the door, then she will drop. This doesn’t affect us; it affects Eden and Eden’s sibling.”
Harman said Eden has three other siblings, two of which are also on the autism spectrum. One sibling has a feeding tube and must now wake up early and be unhooked from her nourishment so the family can walk Eden to the bus.
“This is affecting the kids,” Harman said. “Innocent children.”
Harman said that while Eden seems to be okay at school following the bus change, it has messed up her afternoon routine as well.
“It’s affected when she gets off the bus at home. She steps off very slowly, and she just looks around…She has been through so much. She’s suffered for so long in just the 12 years that she has been alive, and she’s endured more than you and I ever have. She can’t tell us what all she’s went through because she is non-verbal, but to make her suffer more than she already has? She’s not supposed to suffer.”
Although the change came from the Department of Transportation, Harman says she does not blame them. According to Harman, several neighbors have complained about the bus stopping in the Harman’s driveway, saying that it has messed up the road.
“The Department of Transportation has been beyond amazing for the past seven years. If gravel is needed, the department will bring out gravel and distribute it. They have done what they’re supposed to do but their hands were tied.”
Director of Transportation with Raleigh County Schools Gary Daniel told Lootpress that the change was made due to numerous complaints.
“Bus routes change often. For several years, we have picked up and dropped off on that private road but, due to concerns, it was changed.”
Daniel did not disclose how many complaints the department received before making the decision.
Harman, who is working to undo the change, says she has not personally spoken with anyone at the Department of Transportation but has left messages with the Special Education Department to see if there is a solution.
“I want answers. I want it fixed for my daughter. It’s just not fair to her. For seven years, this has been her driveway. It has been her bus stop.”
While they wait for answers, Harman is working with Eden daily, helping her acclimate to their new schedule.
