On the morning of March 26, Ti'yae Evans boarded his Columbus school bus like any other day. According to his family, the ride home was anything but routine. The 10-year-old says his driver told him to get off near North Hague Avenue and La Vista Drive, then pulled away, leaving him on a roadside that his parents had already flagged as unsafe.
Ti'yae's parents say they had warned the district multiple times about that particular stop, pointing out the lack of sidewalks and the fast-moving traffic. Now they are pushing the district for answers and concrete changes so other kids are not left in the same spot, literally or figuratively.
As reported by ABC 6, Ti'yae attends Valleyview Elementary, and his parents have filed a formal complaint about what happened on March 26. They told the station the driver had warned Ti'yae that he could be removed from the bus, and that neither the family nor the district confirmed the driver's name to reporters.
According to Columbus City Schools, students are required to ride to their assigned bus stop, and drivers are not obligated to wait for students who are running late. The district's busing page instructs families concerned about a stop's safety to contact the Transportation Call Center at (614) 365-5074. Transportation staff says they will follow up with the assigned driver and use GPS to verify routes when a concern is reported.
State Rules Allow Removal But Require A Process
Ohio regulations allow a bus driver to remove a student from transportation immediately when that student's presence is considered a danger to others or to the safe operation of the bus. Those same rules require the driver to document violations in writing and require the district to provide a hearing within seventy-two hours of the removal. See the Ohio Administrative Code and guidance from the Ohio Department of Education for details on those reporting and procedural requirements.
Parents Say The Stop Itself Is Dangerous
The family told ABC 6 that the stop at North Hague and La Vista has no sidewalks, that drivers often exceed the posted 40 mph speed limit, and that cars sometimes make illegal turns into a nearby apartment complex. "That's traumatizing for a kid and for the parents too," Jetire Evans told the station. The family says a previous request to move the stop was denied, and they now want accountability and specific safety improvements, not just assurances that things will be reviewed.
What Parents Can Do
Families who believe their child's bus stop is unsafe are instructed by the district to call Columbus City Schools' Transportation Call Center at (614) 365-5074 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to report a concern or request a review. Parents can also file a formal complaint with their school and request records or a hearing if their child is removed from transportation.
For now, the family says Ti'yae is still riding with the same driver while the district reviews their complaint. They are urging other parents to raise safety issues so the district addresses hazardous stops.
