‘I didn’t know where he was’: Burlington student found asleep on school bus about 30 minutes after usual drop-off time
3:44 p.m. - that's the time Jessica McDonald's nine-year-old son typically gets dropped off at the bus stop in Burlington where his grandparents pick him up.
But, on Monday, the school bus didn't arrive.
I started to lose my mind," his mother said. I'm thinking the worst possible outcome. Did he not go on the bus? Is he stuck at school? ... It's the unknown. I didn't know where he was."
At first, the family thought the school bus might be late, but it wasn't listed as delayed. At about 4:15 p.m., McDonald learned from the dispatcher that her son had been found safe - asleep in his seat at the back of the bus - when the driver arrived at the bus depot.
We keep trying to explain to him that it's not his fault," she said. Like, if he falls asleep, it's OK."
This is the Grade 4 student's first year at Alexander's Public School, where he is registered in a structured class for students with autism.
This is all new to him," she said. He only started going on the bus last week, I believe."
McDonald said her son wasn't on the bus last Friday, and wonders if the driver assumed he was absent again on Monday.
The driver, a veteran of about 10 years, had called the student's name, but there was no response. So, he carried on to the next stop," Peter McGlynn, regional general manager for First Student, told The Spectator.
Drivers should be following the route, even if the kid isn't on," McGlynn said. They are also trained to keep an eye out for kids who have fallen asleep.
It happens all the time," he said, adding that the company often broadcasts reminders over the radio, particularly after a time change or a school break.
The company's website says buses operate under stringent safety protocols and are packed with state-of-the-art safety features to protect our students."
Drivers are required to do at least two checks - after the last student is dropped off and when they arrive at the bus depot - for students or any items that may have been left on the bus. Once the final check is complete, drivers push a red button at the back of the bus. If they don't, an alarm goes off.
McGlynn said all drivers - new and returning - participate in training each year both before school starts and throughout the year.
This driver is in training because he didn't follow procedure," he said. The driver has been taken off the route, but will return to the wheel once training is complete.
McGlynn said the driver feels bad," and the situation could have been avoided."
But the child was in no danger, and was always with the driver," he said. The driver never left the bus."
This is little consolation for McDonald, who says she and her family are distraught and upset" after spending a half-hour not knowing where the boy was or if he was OK.
Thirty minutes may not seem like a long time to them," she said. But for a parent not knowing where their child is? Yeah, it's lifetime."
Kate McCullough is a Hamilton-based reporter covering education at The Spectator. Reach her via email: kmccullough@thespec.com