An undisclosed number of Boston elementary school students were dropped off at the wrong stop on Monday afternoon, reportedly more than a mile from some of their homes.
Holes Innovation School Principal Lianne Hughes-Odom sent a letter to the school community on Tuesday saying some students assigned to afternoon bus HS378 were incorrectly dropped off by a substitute bus driver. She did not say how many students were impacted by the error.
Hughes-Odom noted that this incident may be concerning for some families but reassured them that the matter is being fully investigated and will be addressed consistent with district policies.
"The BPS Transportation Department is committed to providing safe transportation to and from school for our students, and is taking steps to address this issue, and we are sharing this information to foster open and transparent communication," the principal wrote, urging anyone with questions to contact her or the district's department of transportation.
Family members of one of the students affected spoke with NBC10 Boston on Tuesday and said the 10-year-old boy was dropped off more than a mile from his home and had no idea where he was. They say he's traumatized.
"He’s very traumatized," his aunt, Eliaris Diaz, shared. "This actually happened yesterday on his birthday and he didn’t want to celebrate. He was just crying and just saying like how terrible of a birthday it was and he was so scared...he’s still pretty shaken up about it."
According to the family, students noticed when the driver took the wrong route, but the driver allegedly ignored them and told them to take a seat.
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The boy's family says he was dropped off at Walgreens on Morton Street but he lives closer to Walk Hill Street in Mattapan, going into Newton -- more than a mile away.
After the boy was dropped off, he went inside the Walgreens and asked a customer for help. His family says she is a charter school teacher at the Brook and they're thankful she helped him.
"What if this would have ended up different? You know what if he never would’ve ran into that lady or something bad if that lady wasn't a teacher, a good person, you know what I mean?," Diaz questioned. "These mistakes can really be life-changing and traumatic for children.”
The family tells NBC10 Boston that they understand there’s a driver shortage, however they don't believe students should find themselves in situations like this one.
