Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Skipper will Adopt Recommendations of Independent Investigation into School Transportation Safety

BPS will adopt the recommendations in Mintz Attorney Natashia Tidwell’s independent review of safety measures under the Boston Public Schools contract with Transdev, commissioned following the death of kindergartener Lens A. Joseph

Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Public Schools (BPS) Superintendent Mary Skipper today shared the independent report by Mintz Attorney Natashia Tidwell following her review of safety policies and performance under the contracts with Transdev, and announced the City and BPS will adopt all of the report’s recommendations and will be implementing them as quickly as possible. The decision to initiate an independent review followed the tragic death of Lens A. Joseph, a kindergartener who was struck and killed by his school bus on Monday, April 28. While this review examines BPS and Transdev systems, it was not an investigation of the tragic events of April 28. There is a separate and ongoing investigation into the incident led by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

“On behalf of the entire City and BPS, I want to express my profound condolences to Lens’s family, friends, and everyone who loved him. There are no words that can capture the pain of losing a child. We are determined to make sure that a tragedy like this never happens again,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I want to thank Attorney Tidwell and her team for their diligent work over these past three months. The City and BPS have reviewed the final report, and we will be adopting all of the report’s recommendations to strengthen our system to ensure the safety of every child who begins and ends their day on a BPS school bus.”

“The passing of Lens Joseph was a heartbreaking tragedy that will have an everlasting impact on our school community and city,” said Superintendent Mary Skipper. “Our thoughts remain with Lens’ family, friends, teachers, and all who loved him. Because the safety of our students is our highest priority, the Mayor and I requested the independent review to ensure that we are taking every measure possible to provide the safest experience for our students and families. We have begun taking steps with Transdev and within our own operations to strengthen safety policies, training, and oversight. Our commitment remains to act decisively on these recommendations and to ensure the highest standards of safety for the more than 20,000 Boston students who rely on school transportation every day.”

Several of the recommendations are consistent with improvements already underway as BPS prepares for the first day of school next week. After April 28, BPS Transportation made immediate changes to improve safety, and those changes will be permanent. 

• BPS Transportation and Transdev leadership have added a daily meeting with Transdev safety leads, and the leadership teams collectively review all accidents or safety incidents from the prior day and the follow-up steps being taken. 
• BPS Transportation leadership are now attending all Accident Review Committee meetings with Transdev and the bus drivers union. 
• BPS worked with Transdev to enhance the training that all drivers receive. Four months ago, Transdev introduced a new Professional Operator Development Program ( PODP) to supplement required training for school bus drivers, and it is now being fully implemented. BPS worked with Transdev to increase the number of driver trainers Transdev has in Boston, to accelerate the implementation of the PODP training for all Boston school bus drivers. All Boston school bus drivers are fully credentialed and have received all required training to be driving a school bus in Massachusetts. 

BPS’s implementation of the Tidwell Report recommendations will further strengthen safety provisions established under the new vendor contract with Transdev, which took effect on July 1, 2023. The new contract introduced performance incentives and liquidated damages for non-performance that did not exist in the prior contract. The new contract also added extensive reporting requirements and oversight mechanisms. BPS Transportation’s active management of Transdev has helped achieve meaningful, sustained improvements in on-time performance and operations, which have benefited our students and families.

Tidwell Report Recommendations that BPS will adopt:

• BPS Transportation will bolster existing accountability structures with increased oversight and auditing of Transdev’s licensing and compliance functions. This work has already begun. In the immediate aftermath of the April 28th accident, Transdev conducted an audit of all drivers and confirmed that all drivers on the road had valid and up-to-date licenses and certifications. This summer, as an additional check, Transdev has required all drivers to bring in a hard copy of their credentials. No driver will be allowed to drive this school year until they fulfill that requirement, even if Transdev already has a copy of their valid credentials on file. 
• BPS will also be requiring Transdev to provide a full, updated driver roster with each driver’s credentials prior to the start of the school year, which will allow BPS to conduct additional checks to monitor compliance—including paper reviews and increased auditing of driver files and credentials during unannounced visits to bus yards. 
• BPS will strengthen driver training by adopting the recommendation to increase the number of safety trainers. The new contract required Transdev to more than double the number of safety trainers for drivers from four to 11. This summer, BPS has increased the number of safety trainers from 11 to 15 full-time trainers, and will work with Transdev to maintain that number moving forward. BPS will also closely study whether any additional staffing increases are warranted.
• The Tidwell Report recommendations also highlighted opportunities to strengthen safety provisions in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with drivers, parts of which are decades old. BPS will closely review the recommendations regarding CBA amendments to improve student safety, and will work with Transdev and The Boston School Bus Drivers’ Union to act on those recommendations.

BPS also fully supports the recommendations to streamline Transdev’s electronic record-keeping. BPS will work with Transdev to make it easier to access and update driver files, and will increase ongoing auditing to ensure compliance. The district is pleased that as preparations advance for the first day of school, every role on the Transdev safety team in Boston is staffed. BPS Transportation will work closely with Transdev to immediately address any vacancies with qualified safety professionals.

Boston Public Schools is committed to providing safe, reliable, and on-time transportation for the more than 20,000 students who ride the school bus every day. The “Driving Change: April 2025 Transportation Progress 2022-2025” report documented the on-time performance improvements that have benefited students in recent years, as well as plans for continued, sustainable system improvements. As students prepare to return to the classroom next week, families are encouraged to download the Zum app to view their bus assignment, track their student’s rides, and receive real-time notifications when their student is picked up and dropped off. Families are encouraged to reach out to the BPS Transportation Hotline, at 617-635-9520, with any questions about their student’s transportation.