Injured Driver Caused Late Buses Monday Morning In Greenwich; Poor Conditions Reported At Western MS

GREENWICH, CT — Bus drivers trying to access their buses at Western Middle School Monday morning were met with muddy and slippery conditions as Greenwich Public Schools was operating under a two-hour delayed opening after the weekend snowstorm.

A bus driver trying to get to his bus "fell flat" and was taken by Greenwich Emergency Medical Service to a local hospital for treatment, according to Mary Pryce, section chair with Transport Workers Local 100, the union that represents school bus drivers in Greenwich.

Pryce told Patch there was "caked up ice and mud" in the back of WMS where buses park.

"Do the parents no [sic] that the drivers transporting their children are under a lot of stress. Our cars are full up with mud and dirty daily from tracking through the mud," Pryce wrote in a text message to Patch on Monday, saying drivers are "working under unsafe, unclean, muddy, nasty conditions."

She also described the condition of portable restrooms available to drivers, saying they're "not even fit for dogs" as they have flooded with water in the past during heavy rain, according to Pryce.

GPS confirmed with Patch five Greenwich High School buses were late Monday due to a driver needing medical attention.

In a message to WMS families on Sept. 25, GPS Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones explained parking buses at WMS was only a temporary measure while the district worked to secure a permanent, off-campus location.

Buses were moved to WMS because the district's original plan of parking at an off-site location fell through "at the last minute," Jones wrote in her message.

Parents called the situation "untenable" during the Greenwich Board of Education's regularly scheduled meeting on Sept. 25.

GPS Spokesperson Jonathan Supranowitz told Patch via email Monday afternoon that on Sunday evening, after checking with the Town of Greenwich Department of Public Works and DATTCO, the school bus company, the school district decided to operate on a two-hour delay due to hazardous travel conditions.

The school district reiterated that the situation isn't ideal and it remains committed to finding a more permanent location for bus parking. A real estate professional has been assisting in the search.

"We are aware that the location buses are parked is not the ideal situation for anyone in the community," Supranowitz wrote. "We have publicly stated numerous times that we have been working diligently for the past several months to find a better, more permanent location."

The buses at WMS are not allowed to park on the new turf playing fields there. Parking is limited to paved parking and a designated grass surface near the new turf playing fields. Facilities have marked underground infrastructure to avoid damage as an added precaution.

It remains unclear when a permanent location will be secured.

Over the summer, GPS switched to DATTCO for the 2025-2026 school year. The district previously contracted with the bus company, First Student, for several years.