Hays CISD releases video from deadly bus crash

Dear Families and Staff of Bus 1106,

Let me begin by expressing how much I continue to be profoundly heartbroken about the tragic accident in which you were involved. I know that processing this trauma is taking tremendous strength and courage on your part. The entire school district community, and the whole nation for that matter, is in your corner.

You may already be aware that school buses are equipped with cameras, both inside and out. We have turned all of the video from bus #1106 over to law enforcement officials who will use it as part of their investigation.

In Texas, a school district is a public entity and is subject to the Texas Public Information Act. That law ensures you, and any member of the public, has access to almost every piece of information created or retained by the school district – including videos on buses. As a public entity, the district belongs to the taxpayers. Another law – the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) – protects information that is specific about individual students. For example, your children’s educational records. That information belongs to parents.

The district has received from the Austin American Statesman, under the Texas Public Information Act law, a request for copies of the bus videos during the accident. It is not unusual, nor unexpected that we have received such a request.  It is the job of journalists to access and assess what your government (the school district) does so that they can serve the public good on your behalf. This dynamic also helps to ensure transparency. The district holds no ill will toward any media organization that has requested this material.

I’m emailing to let you know that in accordance with the Texas Public Information Act, the district is required to, and will, release the exterior bus videos to the media. These videos do not show any children. However, they may still be disturbing for you to watch because you were involved in the accident. Please know that once released, the videos will likely be widely circulated on social media and we will get requests from additional media outlets for the same material. I want you to be prepared so that you can make your own decisions about whether you wish to view them.

Under provisions afforded in FERPA, to protect the privacy of educational records, the district intends to withhold from release the interior video of the bus because that video does show identifiable images of students in Hays CISD. This district considers the interior videos to be part of the educational records of the children depicted in them. We may be challenged on not releasing the interior video, but we will work to protect them from release.

I want to tell you that in my role in the district, I work with members of the local and Austin-area media frequently. They are professionals and have difficult jobs in covering distressing news such as our bus accident.  I also know they are human and that they share in the sorrow and emotional pain we all feel. They have expressed that to me this entire week. I expect that they will handle the publication of the released videos with care and professionalism, balancing sensitivities regarding the content with your right, and the right of the public, to have access to the business conducted by the school district.

I anticipate the publication of the videos to occur this afternoon.

My heart remains with all of you, as do my prayers.

Tim Savoy, Hays CISD Chief Communication Officer