Mother of Child Left on School Bus Wants Answers, Policy Changes
Mia Hart wants to know how a school bus driver and their trainee managed to leave her 9 year old son a school bus in sub freezing temperatures last Friday morning. Apparently, the boy fell asleep on his way to Apollo Elementary and didn't get off the bus. When the bus was returned to the bus barn following the route, a video the mother gave to KTBS shows the trainee check the bus from front to back before exiting. However, the man managed to miss the boy sleeping in the third row. Temps Friday were in the low 20s.
The boy woke up 30 minutes later and was discovered wandering around the bus barn by another driver. Hart wanted to file child endangerment charges but police say the incident didn't meet the requirements of criminal offense. Now the mother is pushing School to change their policies to make sure no other child gets left behind. She says it only takes a few minutes to check the bus row by row.
Bossier Schools spokeswoman Sonja Bailes told KTBS that the incident was a 'terrible oversight' and that the driver and trainee didn't follow proceedure. Bailes went on to say that an internal investigation into the matter is underway. Hart says the school's response is not enough and the only thing officials will tell her is that they are sorry.