SYRACUSE — In response to the tragic accident Tuesday, Oct. 30, taking the lives of three elementary-aged children who were about to board a school bus in Fulton County, the following statement was released Thursday, Nov. 1, by Dr. Tom Edington, superintendent of the Wawasee Community School Corporation:

“Our hearts go out to the community of Tippecanoe Valley Schools over the loss of three children, along with injuries to another child on Tuesday. Their heartbreaking situation is both a shock to all and a time to grieve together.

“Although Wawasee has not had a transportation-related loss of life within the past decade, we have experienced two serious bus accidents since 2013. One of those accidents was partly due to bus routing issues and prompted WCSC to acquire bus routing software. That software, Transfinder, has enabled us to efficiently change routes, which allows us to pick up and drop off elementary children on the house side of busy roads. We have several roads, in addition to state highways, which carry much more traffic than other roads.

“We’ll be researching better ways keep our children safe. Whether we adjust routes for middle and high students, along with any other safety changes, is under study. In addition, know that our bus drivers are directed to check traffic and mirrors before signaling students to cross a roadway.

“If you have safety-related suggestions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. We look forward to our continued partnering with you as we enhance safety for the children of our Wawasee community.”