Frozen out: Student sent to hospital with frostbite after bus delay

A student developed frostbite after a school bus was almost an hour late picking the child up in January, CBC Investigates has learned.

It was just days before the Newfoundland and Labrador Eastern School District suspended the bus contract forKelloway Investments, disrupting the way to school for 3,500 students across 22 schools.

At the time the board said the bus company left students waiting an unnecessarily long time but didn't reveal that a student had been injured.

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A confidential briefing note obtained by CBC News through access to informationsaid one child "ended up at the Janeway(hospital) with third-degree frostbite."

That level of frostbite goes deeper than just the skin and can lead to permanent damage.

The note was written before 58 charges were laid by Service NL against Kelloway for having buses that weren't properly inspected.

Officials told the premier "it is of the utmost importance that there be no public release of the information related to the investigation."

The parent was satisfied when we chatted with how we dealt with the issue, and she was delighted that the finger wasn't permanently damaged.- Terry Hall

Terry Hall, an assistant directorwith the district, said the good news is there was no permanent damage.

"There doesn't appear to be any lasting effects from the frostbite," he said.

"The parent was satisfied when we chatted with how we dealt with the issue, and she was delighted that the finger wasn't permanently damaged."

'They created that problem'

Jim Kelloway, who owns the bus company, said it's not his company's fault the bus was delayed and the child developed frostbite.

He said after buses finished their first route they were intercepted by officials from Service Newfoundland and Labrador.

The board had concerns about the mechanical fitness of the buses and wanted to do full inspections.

Officials told the driver that after their second run they'd have to go to one of three locations for the inspection.

"They created that problem," Kelloway told CBC News.

"Why didn't (inspectors) let the buses do the run?"

Kelloway said there's a tight timeline for buses to start their second run.

He said the board hasn't provided him details about which run the student was on.

Contract confusion costing thousands a day

The briefing note also shows that suspending the busing contract, and getting other companies to cover the routes,hasn't been cheap.

It notes that every day that arrangement is in place it costs an extra $6,300.

Hall notes that covers almost 50 buses.

"It's not what I would call exorbitant. The little extra cost on what we were paying the original contractorkeeps us in about the ballpark, or the average of what we've been seeing in the last few years for busing contracts in general."

But Kelloway said he's struggling financially. He still has to make payments on his busesbut isn't getting paid.

"This has been a big hardship," he said.

He insists the problems found in the inspections are minor and says his buses are in good shape.

"I've got the newest fleet of buses in Newfoundland," he said. "I'm super-shocked to be off the road."

The briefing documents show this isn't the first time the school board has had concerns over Kelloway buses.

I've got the newest fleet of buses in Newfoundland. I'm super-shocked to be off the road.- Jim Kelloway

When the district cancelled the contract for Island Bus Service in October,Kelloway put in a bid to pick up the contract.

But when Service NL investigated, it found seven of the buses offered as part of the bid were the same ones that were part of the Island Bus Service contract cancelled because buses failed inspection. Those buses weren't being used to transport kids at the time.

It inspected the buses, and only one passed. Three were taken out of service, and three had defects "that should have been captured during the commercial vehicle inspection," the briefing note said.