Crowley ISD has terminated a bus driver after a pre-kindergarten student was left alone on a school bus last week following the morning route, the district said.
The 4-year-old child was later found inside the bus at a Durham School Services transportation lot, where an employee discovered the student. Medical personnel evaluated the child before she was reunited with their family.
District officials said the driver “failed to follow protocol and the student should never have been left alone,” according to NBC 5 DFW.
Crowley ISD and Durham School Services are continuing to investigate the incident and have launched a comprehensive review of transportation procedures, documentation, staff training and compliance with child-check protocols.
The district also announced that all transportation employees must review and acknowledge child-check procedures before returning to service. Officials said they are evaluating additional safety measures and oversight to help prevent similar incidents.
“We are grateful the student was located safely. While the investigation is ongoing, we remain committed to identifying all contributing factors and implementing any corrective actions necessary to help prevent this from ever happening again,” Crowley ISD said in a statement, per NBC 5.
The district has not released the name of the terminated driver, the identity of the child, or how long the student remained on the bus.
According to the child’s family, the student was left on the bus for approximately six hours after failing to be dropped off at school. The family said they were not notified that the child had missed school until one to two hours after classes began.
Medical records shared by the family with NBC DFW reportedly show the child was diagnosed as an “abandoned child” who was “at risk for hyperthermia.”
The incident occurred during a stretch of extreme North Texas heat, with temperatures reaching 98 degrees and heat index values climbing well above 100 degrees in many areas.
Crowley ISD contracts with Durham School Services to operate its school buses. Both organizations described the incident as a serious breakdown in established safety procedures and said they are committed to strengthening safeguards designed to protect students.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Provided by Dallas Express
