Texas community mourns pre-K student killed in bus crash on ride home from field trip

BUDA, Texas (KEYE) — A makeshift memorial continues to grow outside an elementary school in Texas in honor of a pre-kindergarten student who was killed Friday on the ride home from a school field trip.

Preliminary reports from Texas DPS and others indicate the school bus returning from a field trip to a zoo in Bastrop County was westbound on Highway 21 near the Bastrop-Caldwell county line when a concrete pump truck heading east crossed into the westbound lane and struck the bus head-on.

The bus was carrying 11 adults and 44 pre-school-age children. One of those children was killed. The driver of a car following the bus also died.

A message to parents from Tom Green Principal Jennifer Hanna was made public early Saturday evening. It reveals three staff members and two students remain in the hospital. The school said it had not been able to contact the parents of nine students for an update.

The post went on to say one of the injured staffers expects to leave the hospital soon but two staff members will have to deal with what the principal described as "much more extensive recoveries ahead."

The two students they know of in the hospital are doing better and are expected to be released soon.

"We have cancelled the regular school day on March 25, 2024; however, we will be open for students and staff members who want to seek counseling services on a voluntary basis," Hanna said. "We will have specialized crisis and trauma counselors available to help from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Students who may need transportation to attend counseling may call the school to coordinate ride services. We will resume a normal school schedule on Tuesday, March 26, 2024."

Hays CISD confirmed that the bus, a 2011 model, was not equipped with seatbelts. Beginning in 2017, Hays CISD starting buying buses with seatbelts due to a change in state law.

A former fourth grade teacher at the school who is still active with the Tom Green community has started a GoFundMe to help everyone impacted by this tragic event.

“I used to work at this school with these amazing teachers, amazing staff, amazing parents, amazing kiddos," she said.

She said the money raised will help everybody at her school.

“It's going to go to all of Tom Green, from funeral expenses to hospital bills to the teachers to the students that need support,” she said, “In whatever way, I'm letting the school do so."

Hanna also shared the link in her update to families.

"The money raised will be used to help students and staff with expenses related to healing, off-setting funeral expenses for the student who passed away, and other unexpected expenses incurred by families affected by the accident," Hanna said.

Click here to see theGoFundMe. So far, it's raised over $51,000.