Echo’s Mimi Fhima, Raphy Gendler and Sam Orloff contributed to this report. 

Rachel Rickert, the mother of two Park students, said she is ending a school bus boycott after having a discussion with Principal Scott Meyers. After hearing about an incident occurring on bus 212 Nov. 16, she offered rides to students in an effort to boycott the bus.

Rickert said she had a conversation with Meyers Nov. 30, after which she felt the bus incident was being adequately handled by the school.

“We had a very positive open dialogue (Nov. 30) that I thought showed just how important race relations and equality really are to (Meyers) on a deeply personal level,” Rickert said. “He’s concerned with the situation that took place and several other situations that have gone on and he’s working really hard to try to come up with a good solution while not forcing people into the solution but making the student body an active participant.”

Senior Ellie Cook said after seeing Rickert’s Facebook post indicating her willingness to provide transportation to bus riders, she felt motivated to help as well.

“Rachel Rickert on Facebook was offering people rides and she is one of my good friends so I was like ‘yeah, I know a lot of kids on that bus so I will give them rides,’” Cook said. “It’s not a far drive from my house anyway. It’s on the way to school, so might as well.”

Before the conversation with Meyers, Rickert said she wanted students to hold off on riding the bus until the situation was dealt with, and offered rides through a Facebook post.

“I think we absolutely need to boycott the bus,” Rickert said. “I understand that is a hardship for many families, but there’s a group of us who are willing to help out in carpooling as best we can during that time.”

Cook said the alleged racism in the incident made her want to assist students who don’t have another method of transportation to school.

“I was angry because it’s infuriating to me that someone would be so blatantly racist like that,” Cook said. “I also just really feel bad for those kids and I want to help in any way I can because I’m privileged being able to drive to school every day.”

Rickert said as of Nov. 30, she is allowing her sons to return to riding bus 212.

“I feel confident that (the school has) taken steps to protect all the parties involved, some of that can’t be discussed with us, but they have taken adequate steps to address what took place and try to prevent a similar situation to that from happening again,” Rickert said.

According to Rickert, Meyers recorded their conversation and plans to play it for the bus company that manages and employs the bus drivers.

“(Meyers) is going to work with them to listen to our conversation and let them weigh in on it and give them some perspective on how the parents felt about the situation, how the kids felt, and see if there’s anything more they can do on their end so that this type of thing doesn’t happen again,” Rickert said.

Rickert said aside from dealing with the bus incident, she wants to see the school facilitate more conversations about race relations. She said she presented to Student Council with her son junior Ethan Rickert about organizing activities promoting conversation.

“I did talk with (Meyers) about doing some sort of a statement about inclusivity, about making everyone feel like they’re a part of the community regardless of their race or their orientation or whatever, that this is a safe space,” Rickert said.

Rickert said during their discussion, Meyers informed her of possible ideas he had to improve race relations at the school.

“(Meyers) had batted around a few ideas related to either entire school or small group  assemblies to improve dialogue among different races and help everybody understand that (they’re) all the same people that went to school together a year ago, six months ago, that the climate in the country has changed but the people sitting next to you in your classroom haven’t,” Rickert said.

School board member Karen Waters said she supports increased racial equity work.

“I’d like to see some professional development take place so that we take every learning opportunity that we have to learn and grow,” Waters said.

Cook said she believes bus safety should be an extension of the school.

“I want the kids to feel safe on the bus and feel like they’re able to not only be at school and feel safe but get on the bus and feel safe,” Cook said.