A concerned mother found herself in distress when her son was mistakenly dropped off by his school bus at a location 40 miles away from their home. The boy, who is on the autism spectrum, left school at 3:30 pm last Friday, and his family expected him to arrive home shortly afterward. However, as time passed without his arrival, the mother, Somers McCray, contacted First Student, the school transportation provider, for assistance.
To her dismay, the dispatch informed her that the GPS tracking for the school bus was lost. Taking matters into her own hands, Somers located her son’s iPhone and discovered that it was showing a location 40 miles away in Danbury. In an interview with NBC Connecticut, she expressed her shock and worry about her son’s whereabouts.
Desperate to bring her child back safely, Somers collaborated with police, First Student, and the school district to arrange a pick-up at a 7-Eleven gas station in Southington, approximately 10 miles from their home. When she was finally reunited with her son, who requires a stable routine due to his neurodiversity, he was scared and exhausted from the ordeal.
This incident is not an isolated case in the area, as another parent, Lilly Reyes, recently shared a similar experience where her nonverbal son in a wheelchair was taken to the wrong school, causing confusion and distress. Dr. Tony Gasper, the CSDNB’s superintendent, acknowledged that there were readiness issues with the drivers and the bus company at the start of the school year.
First Student has apologized for the delays and driver availability challenges, promising to improve their services. However, the school district is considering imposing financial penalties on First Student due to these recurring issues.
