In the small Massachusetts town of Orange, a serious lapse in school bus safety protocol has led to an investigation after a third-grade student was found alone in a bus yard following an unplanned slumber. Fisher Hill Elementary School, along with Swift River Bus Company, has been thrust into scrutiny as the young boy's guardian, Teresa Ashby, raised alarms over the handling of her grandson's unsettling experience, as reported by Boston 25 News.
The incident unfolded when the 9-year-old, identified as Micah Adams by WHDH, dozed off during his morning commute to school, only to wake up two-and-a-half miles away from his destination. Anxiety struck as he found himself all alone in the bus yard, left to his own devices to alert an adult and ultimately find his way back to school. The event drew ire from his guardian, who, having been told by school officials that her grandson was absent, was later informed of his actual whereabouts. Fraught with concern over the apparent communication breakdown and lack of immediate action from the school, Ashby learned of what happened when her grandson returned home, thus finding out the reality divergent from the initial message of an attendance system error.
Dr. Elizabeth Zielinski, the superintendent of Orange Elementary Schools, conveyed to the public that an investigation is currently underway with the contactor Swift River Bus Company also looking into the matter – the bus company manager, Dan Johnson, mentioned that the driver completed a check of the bus but failed to notice the student "under the seat." "We are working closely with the school during the investigation," Johnson confirmed in a statement obtained by Boston 25 News, subsequently hinting at potential disciplinary action dependent upon the inquiry's findings.
While the incident has attracted attention from state agencies, Ashby's concern continues to build as the family has yet to receive an apology or a full explanation as to how such an oversight could occur. The Department of Children and Families is also looking into the incident, further amplifying the seriousness of the child's abandonment on the bus. "I’ve gotten no answers, not even an apology," Ashby disclosed in an interview with WHDH, echoing a sentiment of frustration and demand for accountability so that no other family encounters an ordeal of this nature in the future.
