04/30/2026
To our South Putnam families and community,
I want to begin by expressing my gratitude to our families, staff, bus driver, and the emergency responders who acted quickly and calmly following yesterday morning's bus accident. Their steady response made a difficult situation safer for everyone involved.
Following the accident, students were either released directly to their parents or guardians at the scene or transported safely to school on another bus. As reported by the Indiana State Police, no students were transported from the scene by EMS for medical care. When students arrived at school, each one was individually checked by our school nurse, and our staff maintained direct communication with families throughout the day.
Most students have since returned to school. Several families chose to seek follow-up medical care, evaluation, or examination for their children, and a small number of students are still out while they recover. One student is receiving additional medical care for more significant injuries. We will continue to respect the privacy of each student and family and will not share individual medical information.
We know that an accident like this can affect students in ways that aren't always visible. Counseling and support services have been made available to students and staff, and we will continue to offer that support for as long as it is needed.
Our thoughts are with all of our students, our bus driver, and the driver and student in the other vehicle. We will continue to cooperate fully with the Indiana State Police investigation and follow all required safety procedures.
As we near the end of the school year, I also want to ask every driver in our community to remain alert and patient around school buses and student transportation routes. The safety of our children depends on all of us.
Thank you for your continued trust in our schools.
Dr. Corey Smith
Superintendent
South Putnam Community School Corporation
