When three buses carrying Nashville High School seniors were involved in an accident on Interstate 30 near Bryant in late April, Bryant Public Schools quickly mobilized to help students and staff safely off the highway and cared for while they waited for transportation home.
Todd Sellers, Bryant’s deputy superintendent, said the district first learned about the crash through Transportation Director Scott Curtis. “Scott had determined that the accident was a little more extreme than we realized,” Sellers said. Approximately 13 students were transported to local hospitals following the crash, while the remaining students needed a safe place to go as emergency crews responded. Within about 45 minutes, Bryant buses, along with assistance from Benton School District, arrived on scene to complete a bus-to-bus transfer as Arkansas State Police temporarily shut down the interstate.
Students were then transported to Mills Park, where emergency personnel completed evaluations before Bryant arranged for them to eat lunch at Cracker Barrel while waiting for replacement buses from Nashville. Sellers praised the response from Bryant staff, community partners, and district leadership throughout the situation. “I cannot brag enough on Scott Curtis himself,” Sellers said. “He stayed involved with this process from start to finish making sure everybody was taken care of.” Sellers also recognized Superintendent Karen Walters, who brought water and snacks to students at the park. “She was supposed to be in a meeting and went out of her way to make sure those kids were taken care of,” he said.
Although the students involved were not from Bryant, Sellers said helping others during difficult moments reflects the culture of Bryant Public Schools. “We take care of one another. We take care of others outside of our organization as well,” Sellers said. “What I am most proud about is the fact that the parents, the kids and the good people of Nashville… they know that we took care of their kids as if they were our own.”