The school year is just starting, but some parents in Humble and Texas City are already raising serious concerns after their children were dropped off at the wrong bus stops, leaving them frightened and alone.
Humble: 4-Year-Old Dropped Off Blocks Away
In Humble, Joe Flowers, the father of a 4-year-old Pre-K student at Oak Forest Elementary, was waiting for his daughter at the bus stop when things went wrong. On the second day of school, his daughter was dropped off several blocks away from her intended stop.
“I was waiting at the bus stop,” Flowers explained. “I asked the driver if she was on the bus. She said no. I jumped in my car and found my daughter two blocks away, crying on the corner.”
Flowers said his daughter was visibly traumatized by the incident, stating, “She told me, ‘Papi, I don’t want to get lost again.'” This situation prompted Flowers to reach out to the school district. Humble ISD officials responded with an apology and a commitment to addressing the problem.
Jamie Mount, Chief Communications Officer for Humble ISD, said, “This should never have happened. We are deeply troubled that a child was placed in this situation.”
The district has assured the family that the bus driver’s failure to follow protocol will be addressed and that further training is being implemented to prevent future incidents.
Texas City: 5-Year-Old Missing for Hours
In Texas City, Josh Brents faced a much more intense situation when his 5-year-old son, William, failed to get off at his designated bus stop on the first day of school. As hours passed with no sign of William, the family grew frantic, and the police prepared to issue an AMBER Alert.
Brents recalled, “It was a sinking feeling. He’d been missing about three and a half hours.” Fortunately, William was found running down the driveway, barefoot and upset, after he had managed to find his way home with the help of a stranger.
“I grabbed him and hugged him,” Brents said. “He told me he got lost, cried by a tree, knocked on a door for help, and eventually asked another kid for directions. That kid helped him find our house.”
Texas City ISD officials responded with an apology, emphasizing the importance of student safety. Melissa Tortorici, spokesperson for Texas City ISD, said, “Texas City ISD places the highest priority on student safety.
District protocol requires that kindergarten students are only released from the bus when a designated adult is present.” Following the incident, the district took immediate action by terminating the bus driver and aide involved. The district also vowed to review and reinforce safety procedures with all transportation staff.
Both Humble ISD and Texas City ISD are working to improve safety protocols and ensure incidents like these don’t happen again. The Texas City ISD is also focused on finding and thanking the stranger who helped William find his way home.
For now, Joe Flowers has decided to drive his daughter to school to avoid further anxiety. Both families, however, are hopeful that the districts will continue to prioritize safety and improve the transportation system for all students.
