Humble/Texas City, TX — School just began for many local districts, but some parents are already expressing serious concerns after their children were dropped off at the wrong bus stops, leaving them scared and alone.
Humble: 4-Year-Old Dropped Off Blocks Away
Joe Flowers says his 4-year-old daughter, a Pre-K student at Oak Forest Elementary, was dropped off blocks away from her bus stop on her second day of school.
“I was waiting at the bus stop,” Flowers said. “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.”
The incident has left Flowers’ daughter feeling traumatized. Flowers believes district policy requires drivers to verify that a parent or guardian is present before releasing Pre-K students.
“I reached out to the school,” Flowers said. “The superintendent called and said they’re going to work on training, so this doesn’t happen to another child.”
As a result of this incident, Flowers is now personally driving his daughter to school.
“She’s not a fan of the bus right now,” he said. “She told me, ‘Papi, I don’t want to get lost again.’”
Humble ISD Response
Jamie Mount, Chief Communications Officer for Humble ISD, expressed concern over the situation:
“This should never have happened. We are deeply troubled that a child was placed in this situation. We have extended our apologies to the family and share their concerns. Our policy requires Pre-K students to be met at their bus stop by a parent or other authorized adult. The bus driver made a serious mistake by allowing the Pre-K student to get off the bus when no one was there to meet the child. The bus had actually stopped a few blocks away from the correct stop, and the parent was waiting at the right spot. Thankfully, the child is safe. The district is addressing the driver’s failure to adhere to established policy.”
However, Mount did note, “Due to confidentiality requirements regarding personnel matters, we are limited in providing details.”
Texas City: 5-Year-Old Missing for Hours
In Texas City, Josh Brents says his 5-year-old son, William, never got off the bus at his stop on the first day of school. After several frantic calls to the school, police were about to issue an AMBER Alert.
“It was a sinking feeling,” Brents said. “By this time, police were getting involved… he’d been missing about three and a half hours.”
After hours of searching, Brents finally saw his son running down the driveway—without shoes—looking distressed.
“I grabbed him and hugged him,” Brents said. “He told me he got lost… he cried by a tree, knocked on a door for help, then saw another kid and asked for directions. That kid helped him find our house.”
Texas City ISD Response
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 to meet them. This procedure is in place to ensure the well-being of our youngest learners. Following an incident in which this protocol was not followed, the driver and bus aide involved are no longer employed by Texas City ISD. This incident has also prompted us to review these procedures and expectations with all transportation staff to ensure full understanding and compliance. We remain committed to the safety of every child in our care and will continue to reinforce protocols designed to protect our students.”
Both the school district and the police are actively trying to find and thank the stranger who helped William find his way home safely.
“We really want to find the stranger who helped William and thank him for what he did,” said Brents.
For more details, visit the original FOX 26 Houston report.
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