Penn Hills fifth grader left alone after being dropped off at wrong bus stop
Serious questions are being raised about student safety after a Penn Hills fifth grader was dropped off at the wrong bus stop. He was dropped off several blocks away.
Now, the district and bus company are investigating what went wrong.
Imagine your fifth grade son getting on the school bus and finding out later he was dropped off seven blocks away from where he was supposed to be, all alone. That's the reality for one Penn Hills family.
Instead of returning the child to Penn Hills Elementary or the bus depot, the driver let the child off at the next stop.
That decision has triggered an investigation and a ChildLine report.
"To drop someone's child off without a care in the world just worries me a little bit," said Holly Wells, a retired school bus driver in another district. "I can't speak for that driver, but myself personally, I would never."
When KDKA-TV told Wells what had happened in Penn Hills, she was shocked. She says it should have never happened.
"I drove before there were cameras, before there were cell phones, before there was everything on the bus. I would just turn around when I was done with my route and take the back to the school," Wells recalled.
The district says once they were notified, they immediately contacted the child's parents and Krise Transportation.
The bus driver was quickly taken off the job pending the outcome of the investigation.
In a statement to KDKA-TV, the district says, in part, "The safety and well-being of our students is top priority. We take this matter seriously and are working closely with Krise Transportation to ensure all drivers follow safety protocol and student supervision procedures."
This incident comes as many districts across the area face staffing shortages. Parents say that, despite the shortage, no excuse can justify putting a child at risk.
"It's scary that there are people out there who drive these kids around. I mean, you put your trust in them to take care of your kids and make sure they get to and from safely," parent Emilee Fisher said.
District leaders say the bus driver will remain off duty while the investigation continues. KDKA-TV reached out to the bus company but has not heard back.