ASHFIELD — With “Forever in Our Hearts” written on signs at the entrance to Sanderson Academy, more than 100 people came to the elementary school Sunday afternoon for a community gathering to mourn the death of third-grader Summer Steele, who was killed while getting off a school bus outside her Plainfield home two days earlier.
“Today is about providing support for everybody,” said Mohawk Trail Regional School District Superintendent Michael Buoniconti. “We are paying attention to helping each other, and we’re going to do what we can to take care of everybody.”
Standing outside the main doors greeting families as they arrived, Buoniconti said counselors from both inside and outside the district were there to meet with the principal, teachers and staff, as well as provide one-on-one services for those in the community affected by Summer’s death.
The 9-year-old girl died after leaving the bus at a stop on South Central Street in Plainfield about 4 p.m. Friday. According to Massachusetts State Police, she “was not fully clear from the bus when the door closed” and the driver pulled away. The bus dragged her for a short distance and then struck her.
Summer was transported to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield where she was declared dead at 4:50 p.m., Mary Carey, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office, said in a statement.
Several other children were on the bus at the time.
In the school lobby Sunday, people hugged each other, with some using tissues to wipe away tears. A table held printed handouts with information about how parents can cope with the tragedy. There was also a basket where people could leave sympathy cards.
Families with children were encouraged to go into the library. There, art supplies were available for youngsters to use during the gathering.
An organizer of the meeting asked members of the media to leave the school premises.
Buoniconti said it is unknown exactly how the coming days will unfold, observing that many teachers were close to Summer and her younger sister, Skyler.
“A team of grief counseling experts are meeting with me, the principal and school officials to map out a plan for the rest of the week,” Buoniconti said.
Seven counselors will be in the building Monday, one for each of the kindergarten-through-sixth-grade classes, Buoniconti said. The three preschool classrooms will be handled in a different manner, he added, due to the age of the children.
“As much as possible, normal is what we will strive for,” Buoniconti said. “We will react to children and what their needs are.”
A Go Fund Me campaign to raise $75,000 for the Summer Steele Family Fund had already brought in more than $38,000 as of Sunday evening, with many people expressing condolences to the family.
At mid-morning Saturday, South Central Street was quiet under a gray sky. Several of Summer’s relatives and a Sanderson Academy art teacher gathered at the family home. They said they were not yet ready to talk about the tragedy, and asked for privacy in their time of loss.
A spontaneous get-together had also taken place inside Sanderson Academy on Saturday.
Bobby C. Campbell, a disc jockey who lives in Bernardston, said he was heartsick when he heard the news of Summer’s death. Campbell, who was the DJ at the wedding of Summer’s parents, Amanda and Brent, in the early 2000s, said he keeps in touch with the family.
“I just feel so bad for them and what they’ve gone through,” Campbell said. “This is a tragedy for the family to have something like this happen to their little girl.”
The bus driver, who has not been identified, works for F.M. Kuzmeskus Inc. of Gill. David Normand, a spokesman for the bus company, issued a statement Saturday afternoon.
“We are greatly saddened by this tragedy and offer our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the family. We pledge our assistance in working and cooperating with state and local authorities,” the statement said. “While we cannot change what happened, we are deeply grieved for this tragic loss of life.”
Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan called the tragedy “unimaginable.”
“We send our deepest condolences to her family, friends and all those who were touched by her joy and kindness,” Sullivan said in Saturday’statement.
According to Carey, the incident remains under investigation by Plainfield police, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Northwestern district attorney’s office, the MSP Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the MSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and MSP Crime Scene Services.
The male bus driver was interviewed by state police detectives working with the district attorney’s office. But it’s uncertain if he will be publicly identified.
“We never identify people unless charges are brought against them,” Carey said.
Stephanie Murray can be reached at stephaniemur@umass.edu.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.