By Trish Svoboda

Marysville public schools have made procedural changes since a sleeping child was left unattended on a parked school bus last month.

The changes include the placement of signs inside the bus as a reminder to verify its occupancy, adjusting school schedules to ensure early attendance tracking, and possibly implementing a buzzer system to signal when the bus is empty.

School staff will also reach out to parents and emergency contacts as needed in the event of a child’s absence. They also encourage parents to notify the school when their child will be absent.

Superintendent Darren Schroeder said that these policies aren’t a complete solution but are aimed at being more proactive when situations arise. Specifically, at the elementary school, the weekly skill focus for students will be delayed until after attendance has been recorded in the morning.

Schroeder added that the district will examine its finances to see what a buzzer system for buses will cost and if it is reasonable to be placed on the older vehicles.