State route 70 west was reopened after a school bus crash this morning at the Platts Bluff Road, NW 128th Avenue.
The school district said it involved bus 2 and some of the students were taken to HCA Raulerson Hospital for treatment.
The school termed the transports “Out of an abundance of caution.”
The school board said there were no life-threatening injuries reported.
The crash involved a single vehicle and the bus and remained under investigation.
The road was closed for about an hour leading to traffic backups.
Senator Erin Grall ® brought home several appropriations for her district this year that includes Okeechobee, Glades, St. Lucie and Highlands County.
The appropriations included $2 million for Okeechobee city hall and public safety building hardening, $1 million for Okeechobee County Fire Rescue and $500,000 for the special needs hurricane shelter.
The senator also secured funds for the Moore Haven city water plant and waste water treatment plant projects, money for a ladder truck in Sebring and several drainage grants for Highlands County.
Okeechobee Schools say they will comply with any vaccine mandates the state comes up with.
The state is considering eliminating certain vaccines for students when they enter kindergarten.
In early September, the state initiated changes to remove mandates for hepatitis B, influenzas type B, chickenpox and others.
They intend to keep vaccines for polio and measles unless lawmakers pass new legislation to remove them.
Superintendent Dylan Tedders said the state is focused on parental medical freedoms. ‘If you follow what the state is doing they have been leaving it up to parental choice. I still feel there are parents that think the best thing for their student is to be vaccinated.’
Tedders admits some parents don’t want their child to be vaccinated.
‘Parents have a right to choose. We are not going to require it if by law we are not allowed to require it. Hopefully they will let the science dictate and make decisions based on that.’
The Okeechobee School Board issued a proclamation for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. In the latest data, Okeechobee had 15 suicides in 2023. St. Lucie had 58, Martin 28, Hendry 9, Glades five, Osceola 37, and Palm Beach County 223.
The district had just three teacher vacancies and 13 classified positions that needed to be filled in September.
The board confirmed the termination of former bus aide Rose Randazo. They held a hearing on her case this spring. She was on a bus that left a 10 year old special needs child on board for close to two hours.
A new cell phone policy to align with state law was approved for students. At the elementary and middle school level no cell phone can be out or on during class. Any emergency call from parents must go to the school office.
High school students can not have cell phones out or on during instruction times.
The school board also honored athletic director Kenny Buckner for 26 years of service and Angela Hodges for 29 years of service as they retire.
The city of Pahokee hired Tammy Bussey as interim city manager.
She is a native of Okeechobee and owns businesses in the city. She currently is the administrator at the Pahokee funeral home.
Bussey also had experience as a teachers aide, classroom teacher, deputy, commander for Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office, and an office position for the 15th Judicial Circuit State Attorneys Office.
In her interview she vowed to work hard, push the employees to achieve, improve Pahokee, and be transparent.
Update: Okeechobee School Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joseph Stanley said the initial investigation found the school bus driver was not at fault.
The bus involved was headed to Okeechobee High School when the crash occurred before 7 am.
He said eight of the 15 students and the driver were transported to the hospital. The most serious injury was a student with a broken bone. He said most of the kids will stay home for the day.
The district will be working with the parents on insurance coverage and provided counseling for the impacted students.
He said the impact of the collision forced the school bus to flip onto its side.
The other driver was in the wrong lane headed westbound when the crash occurred, Dr. Stanely added.
He thanked first responders, OHS staff and the transportation department for getting the word out to parents as quickly as possible.