When representatives of Concordia Parish bus drivers left a special meeting of the school board last week, they seemed happy with a proposal for an optional allowance.

But after they discovered the new plan wasn&8217;t quite what they thought, 27 bus drivers called in sick Friday morning &8212; leaving children stranded at bus stops, parents forced to put together makeshift car pools and school officials scrambling to make things work.

While the sickout was certainly one way to make a point about their displeasure, the bus drivers should have tried first to negotiate further if they were unhappy with the new plan.

Interfering with anything regarding children&8217;s education &8212; and that includes getting them to school on time &8212; is a drastic step. Teachers and principals have been begging parents to make sure students are at school on time and ready to learn. We need everyone involved with children&8217;s education to take their role seriously.

Bus drivers do have a difficult road ahead as they look to pay for higher gas costs. And we hope that a Monday meeting on the issue will help resolve the differences between the drivers and the school board.

But taking such a drastic step as to jeopardize the school day before trying to work out a solution was a rash decision. We hope Monday&8217;s bus routes run normally and don&8217;t interrupt the day.