It was a relief to read that all students aboard the bus in Barre that was crashed into by a car are unharmed. It’s heartening to hear that the Quabbin Regional School District praised administrators, first responders, and students for handling the situation so well. But wait! There is an enormous, glaring omission of the key and essential player: the bus driver!

This person handled the situation from moment one. They called for assistance, assessed the well-being of every child, and followed every protocol that he or she had been trained to perform in such a situation, and throughout, remained calm and reassuring. The school bus driver did what is the bottom line most important part of a bus driver’s job: they kept our kids safe.

Amy MacKenzie

Greenfield