Encounter on school bus preceded resignation of School Board member

Winnetka School District 36 documents provided to The Record shed light on the events that led to district investigations and the March resignation of a School Board member.

Elected in 2023, Katherine Myers-Crum resigned from the Winnetka Public Schools District 36 Board of Education on March 18 while the district investigated “behavior” on a school bus.

According to district documents The Record obtained via a public-records request, Myers-Crum boarded a district school bus the morning of March 7. Brian Evans — operations manager of North Shore Transit, the district’s busing partner — emailed district officials that day to report the incident, saying that Myers-Crum entered the bus “to scold a student.”

According to written parent complaints sent to the district, Myers-Crum’s behavior toward bus riders was “threatening,” while Myers-Crum, who confirmed that on March 7 she boarded the bus, told The Record she “spoke firmly” to a student.

The complaints also questioned the district’s safety protocol that allowed Myers-Crum to board the bus.

Cameras located on the bus recorded the incident; however, the district declined to share the recording with The Record, claiming it was unlawful to do so and would be a violation of students’ privacy rights.

The parent complaints and emails between Myers-Crum and Superintendent Dr. Kelly Tess reveal that alleged student-to-student bullying prompted Myers-Crum to enter the bus.

Details of the behavior that led to the bus encounter are not public. The district redacted much of the information related to it from documents provided to The Record; however, Myers-Crum expressed displeasure with the district’s response to the situation in her resignation letter — also provided to The Record.

In one email to the district, a parent also challenged the district to respond to the alleged bullying, “I expect the District to undertake a full investigation into this as I do not feel this behavior is acceptable in any form and undermines the district’s responsibility to (redacted).”

In the wake of the incidents, Tess and Myers-Crum exchanged emails in which Tess acknowledged on March 9 and March 10 “the behavior on the bus.” Tess wrote that the district is investigating that behavior and explained two added safety measures: that the district’s director of safety was to ride that bus the week of March 10 and that students on that bus route received new assigned seats.

In a statement, District 36 said it “cannot release” details but “takes complaints of bullying very seriously and takes action on, or investigates, such complaints immediately.”

Tess also wrote in an email that the School Board was to review incident reporting and safety protocol, meaning district officials began at least three investigations related to the situation: 1.) The behavior of Myers-Crum when she boarded the bus March 7; 2.) The alleged student-to-student bullying reported by Myers-Crum and others; and 3.) protocol around how to report incidents to district officials.

“We are committed to supporting the concerns on the bus going forward and need to fully assume that responsibility,” Tess wrote in that email.

In her resignation letter, Myers-Crum expressed disappointment to the district’s response to the bus behavior and that she had been unhappy with district leadership prior to the bus incidents.

“I have considered resigning from this Board for a long time for a number of reasons too lengthy to recite here. In summary, I do not support the leadership and direction of this district and this Board,” her letter says.

Myers-Crum’s letter concludes:

“I sincerely hope that this district and Board will decide to place and hold its focus on supporting all students in achieving their fullest potential as humans through our progressive education system. Our resources are unparalleled, and our teachers are incredibly dedicated.

“And, I hope that the Board will decide to do its job of governing this district by objectively monitoring and holding accountable those in charge of our children’s education.”

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