MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A Charlotte-area school district is grappling with an alarming trend: in more than 200 incidents, other drivers on the road have failed to stop for school buses while their stop arm was extended, putting the lives of their students at risk.
This is not only an alarming trend, but a dangerous one for the students within the Mooresville Graded School district.
“It's very concerning. It is dealing with the safety of our children,” said Tanae Sump-McLean, the district's chief communications officer.
A warning to drivers is posted at the entrance of Rocky River Elementary School: “See flashing red lights stop”.
It's necessary because of countless videos like one shared with WCNC Charlotte, which shows a student who barely misses getting hit by a driver who ignored the stopped school bus while its stop sign was deployed.
It’s not a rare occurrence for bus drivers.
“I got about 20 of them pass my stop arm, about 20 of them. One of them almost hit one of the kids,” said Wanita, a school bus driver of 15 years.
The Mooresville Graded School District reports 222 stop-arm violations so far this school year.
“That is in 66 days of school," said Sump-McLean. "That is a lot."
Parents told WCNC Charlotte they want all drivers to follow the law so kids can get to and from school safely.
“It’s horrifying," said parent Erin Murphy. "I don’t know what folks are thinking."
“I think nowadays people are in such a hurry, and they don’t stop and think about what they are doing and about how one mistake could have a lasting effect on a family or school,” said Beau Fleming, another Mooresville parent.
It's not just in the Mooresville area either. A video shared in January 2024 showed how a student was almost hit by a motorcycle in the Iredell-Stattesville school district earlier this year. I-SS said on average they experience about 40 stop-arm violations a day.
“It’s shocking, I think people need to pay attention to the school buses. They have flashing lights for God’s sake,” said Caleb Dickerson after watching the video.
Passing a stopped bus is a Class 1 misdemeanor subject to fines and points on your driver’s license. If a driver hits someone, the penalty rises to a felony.
It’s a safety concern that had Murphy take the wheel into her own hands.
“I’ve been unsettled in general about the safety, so we started to drive our kids,” she said. “This has been in place for many moons. There’s no excuse for it. There should be no tolerance for it.”
Mooresville school buses all have cameras and are now catching these drivers in action. The district said all videos are sent to the police.
“We could have an accident where a child gets hit by a car and is harmed,” said Sump-McLean. “We consider ourselves very, very blessed that that has not happened this year. But it shouldn't even be a concern.”
Meanwhile, district leaders are asking drivers to slow down, pay attention, and follow the rules of the road.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.