PEARL, Miss. (WJTV) – The mother of a Pearl student has been outraged after a bus driver left her child at the wrong stop.
The incident happened on Monday, February 28 around 3:00 p.m. Bailey Rash, whose daughter is six, said it was a mother’s worst nightmare.
“It’s completely unacceptable. My child could have been stolen. She could have been run over,” Rash said.
The mother said she received a call from the police saying her daughter was in tears and distraught.
“For some reason I just walked out and a little girl was walking down the street crying. The little boys were riding their bikes, and I asked them what was wrong with her, and they said she got off at the wrong stop. And I said, ‘Come sit down and have a popsicle,’ and I called the police,” said Deborah Rigby, a neighbor.
Rash said she couldn’t understand why her child wasn’t dropped off at her usual location on Clearmont Drive. Instead, the child was dropped off at Clearmont Circle.
“There are so many questions that I don’t have answers to,” Rash said.
“She told me the bus driver told her to get off the bus,” Rigby said.
Rash said the Pearl Public School District should make sure an incident like this never happens again. She thinks the district has let the kids down when it comes to safety.
WJTV 12 News contacted the Pearl Public School District for a statement on the incident, and they posted the following response:
On the afternoon of February 28, 2022, an incident occurred in which a student at Pearl Lower Elementary was let off the school bus in the wrong place. Once received at the school level, this information was forwarded to the transport department for an immediate response. District administrators immediately began investigating the situation.
Acknowledging that no harm was done to the student, the district understands the seriousness of this incident. We apologize for this situation, to the student concerned and his family. This is not an experience we would want for any of our students or families. Student safety is paramount to the district, and steps are being taken to address this situation and prevent such things from happening again.
As this issue is a personnel matter, we cannot discuss any action taken against employees, including disciplinary action.
This incident, while isolated, highlighted the need to ensure drivers understand and follow these protocols. PPSD bus drivers are trained on district transportation protocols at the start of each school year that are in place to protect our students. However, follow-up training for bus drivers has been provided to reinforce their role in keeping our children safe. We remain committed to acting and responding in ways that reflect the district’s commitment to the safety and well-being of all students.
Because students in addition to the one involved in this incident are included, the district will not release the video footage from the bus.
Amanda Brewer, public relations specialist for the Pearl Public School District