PEARL, Miss. (WJTV) – The mother of a Pearl student was 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, who’s daughter is six-years old, said this is a mother’s worst nightmare.
“This is totally unacceptable. My child could’ve been stolen. She could’ve been ran over,” said Rash.
The mother said she received a call from police saying her daughter was in tears and distraught.
“For some reason, I just came outside, and a little girl was coming down the street crying. Little boys were riding the bicycles, 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 doesn’t understand why her child wasn’t dropped off at her usual location on Clearmont Drive. Instead, the child was dropped off on Clearmont Circle.
“There’s so many questions I don’t have answers for,” Rash said.
“She told me the bus driver told her to get off the bus,” said Rigby.
Rash said the Pearl Public School District should make sure an incident like this never happens again. She believes the district has let down the children when it comes to safety.
WJTV 12 News reached out to the Pearl Public School District for a statement about the incident, and they released the following response:
On the afternoon of February 28, 2022, an incident occurred in which a student from Pearl Lower Elementary was let off the school bus at the wrong location. Once received at the school level, this information was directed to the transportation department for immediate response. District administrators immediately started investigating the situation.
Thankful that no harm came to the student, the district understands the seriousness of this incident. We apologize for this situation, to the student involved, and to the student’s family. This is not an experience we wish for any of our students or families. The safety of students is paramount to the district, and action is being taken to address this situation and to prevent anything like this from occurring again.
Because this issue involves a personnel matter, we cannot discuss any action taken regarding employees, including disciplinary action.
This incident, although isolated, has brought to light the need to ensure drivers understand and follow these protocols. PPSD bus drivers are trained on district transportation protocols at the beginning of each school year that are in place to protect our students. However, follow-up training for bus drivers has been conducted to reinforce their role in ensuring that our children remain safe. We remain steadfast to acting and reacting in ways that reflect the district’s commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all students.
Because students in addition to the one involved in this incident are included, the district will not release the bus video footage.
Amanda Brewer, Public Relations Specialist for the Pearl Public School District