Student Dropped Off Miles from Home

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Reporter: Chris Woodard
Email Address: cwoodard@nbc15.com

40 comments

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Posted Wednesday, September 3, 2008 --- 8:45pm

The first day of school is supposed to be full of memories, but for one Janesville kindergartner it's one she'd rather forget.

After a mistake at school she's dropped off by the bus 5 miles away from home, all by herself.

The only person that may have been more scared than the 5 year old girl are her parents who for a short time had no idea where their daughter was.

Stepmother Jessica Ford says, "I was scared to death. I didn't know where my child was. I didn't even know who to begin to call to find her. I was just full of terror."

Terror caused by what they say should be a simple trip home on the school bus.

Father Michael Ford says, "I can't believe the school systems that have been in tact for so long can have such a fail."

While boarding the bus after her first day of school somehow Gracie got into the wrong line and ended up on the wrong bus.

When she was nowhere to be found at her normal stop, panic set in for her parents.

Jackson Elementary Principal John Walczak says, "We can provide lots and lots of reasons but they all sound like excuses. There is no excuse for this happening."

Gracie did get dropped off 5 miles away from home at the Rockvale Mobile Home Park. Luckily, a family friend lives here.

Her mother Crystal Brown says, "She was bawling and crying and she said she was lost and she didn't know what to do."

The friend called Gracie's parents and now she's home safely but they're worried it could have been much worse.

Walczak says, "This was a mistake that we made and we should not have made this mistake but we are learning from this mistake."

For one student, the damage may be done.

Michael Ford says, "My daughter tried throwing away her school shoes this morning because she didn't want any more to do with school. That's unacceptable."

School officials say now when students are lining up for the bus they'll all get color coded cards and bus drivers must collect the right card from each student before they're even allowed to get on a bus.

They also say more changes may be on the way.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Rick Location: Madison on Sep 9, 2008 at 11:44 PM
So, is there any word if she decided to continue her education, or keep throwing her school shoes in the trash? Hey- D, um... if people are supposed to have someone waiting for a child when it is dropped off, and no one was there... why did this driver leave the kid then? your own logic explains it all- the child was dropped off where no one was waiting for her! schedule or not, that kind of talk is what gets kids in day care vans left behind to cook in the vans, or gets children left on school busses at night when drivers go home and don't check their busses before leaving! where do you drive bus at? I just want to know to make sure no one I know is putting their kids on your bus. Go Rachel!

Posted by: D Location: Madison on Sep 9, 2008 at 08:26 AM
Rachel or Waunakee-- I would like to see you transport 70 kids esp on the first say of school so you see what we as bus drivers deal with on a daily basis, as i said in a previous post the kid probably didnt ride the bus in the morning and in all honesty someone should have been out waiting for her at her stop since she was a kindergartner. We do have schedules to keep and alot of the time schools dont release the kids on time and we have a certain time we have to pull to accomodate other schools. Think before ya speak

Posted by: anonymous Location: madison on Sep 8, 2008 at 06:14 AM
about the only thing that would make this story worse than it already is would be if the child was home schooled and got on the wrong bus at school!

Posted by: Rachel Location: Waunakee on Sep 7, 2008 at 06:36 AM
It was the bus drivers responsibility to see that the child was delivered to her correct destination. This story is a waste of time??? No, the waste of time are the idiots who said that. It looks like it's time to do another "cleaning out of the gene pool" of morons such as yourselves. I bet you have no real job, smoke dope and probably don't bathe. You are the the kind that is first in line for a handout and then complain at what you got for free. You are the ones who will bitch about a free lunch and complain if you were hung with a new rope!

Posted by: Pat Location: Madison on Sep 5, 2008 at 12:57 PM
through all the talk of plans to improve the system, blaming different individuals for why this happened, deciding what punishment, or if punishment should be handed out... I just wanted to say I hope the little girl is OK, and that she finds joy and happiness in school, friends, learning, playing, and all the great things that go with school. My favorite time was milk/cookie/ story/ nap time!I still buy windmill cookies every once in a while just to break up the stress of adult life, and remember a more fun, relaxed time in life. hopefully she gets a chance to have the same wonderful memories this year! Thanks Mrs. Thompson from Sandburg elementary-wherever you are today! I still remember you, and "Harry the dirty dog"! (and windmill cookies!)

Posted by: Cammie Location: Wisconsin on Sep 5, 2008 at 11:05 AM
This same thing happened to me on my first day of kindergarten. I got on the wrong bus and the driver noticed about 10 minutes in to his route that I wasn't supposed to be there, so he called the principal to come drive me home. It was pretty scary. I'm glad she's alright though :)

Posted by: Jake Location: Madison on Sep 5, 2008 at 12:10 AM
anon @ 3:37- accidents "just happen"? is that how you were conceived, you "just happened"?

Posted by: D Location: Madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 10:09 PM
Teacher from Madison, that is a good idea however as a former bus driver i can tell you schools dont let alot of students out on time, and sometimes we have buses from different cos at 1 school. MMSD schools we are instructed after the bell rings for release we are to give the students 10 minutes to get to the buses before we have to pull. We have schedules we are on running between schools as i am sure you realize esp with the winter months with the roads etc. IF we as bus drivers were to wait and check every child on we would never be able to keep our schedules esp if buses from 2 different cos get mixed up in the line up because 1 co doesnt get to school on time and we have to get in lineup before cars come in and block everything out so we can do our jobs, What i have seen helps at schools is Either the Driver or Bus Aide wait outside the bus so their students recognize what bus they go on. However schools need to take responsbility and get the kids out on time

Posted by: Teacher Location: Madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 08:27 PM
The article said "she got on the wrong bus." Each bus driver should be given a list of students who board the bus (Monday through Friday) with their grade level, final destination, and emergency contact phone# of a parent. It sounds like the transition "onto" the bus was just as compromised.

Posted by: Scoutz on Sep 4, 2008 at 07:59 PM
To New Kindergarten Mom: if you haven't done so already but it might be helpful to you and your child to walk the route a few times on a family walk so she's comfortable with walking to the bus and you are familiar with it also. So if she says something to you it makes sense if your familiar with the area or if something should happen also your able to recall things if she should happen to call from someones [a friends] home.

Posted by: JustMe_Mum on Sep 4, 2008 at 07:48 PM
My child fell asleep on the bus, got a call from the babysitter she didn't come home from school, called the school was told she's not at school and they couldn't do anything, asked them to call the bus company, was a while later the babysitter called and said my child got there and said the driver checked the bus and found her and had to drive back to take her home [was half way to the bus company]. I asked other kids we knew to make sure she got off the bus. Color coding is an excellent idea.

Posted by: Vortex Location: This Post on Sep 4, 2008 at 04:50 PM
amazed, lol, you've made a good point. Obviously those with no lives waste time commenting on something that they think is a "waste of time". What a vicious circle they've created. They may be trapped at this post...FOREVER.... K, go ahead respond. I know you're here.

Posted by: Dale Location: Madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 04:50 PM
whoever said this story is a waste of time ought to know all about wasteful things, since they are obviously a waste of food, public services, air, skin, attention, and everything else. Oh well, there will be some day, some time, when they have something happen to them, and want the world to know, and their story will be deemed a "waste of time" and not get posted. it isn't even about sympathy for the little girl, how about just some common decency and compassion for a human being that was thrown into a situation they had no experiences to draw upon to help them deal with it? or is that asking too much of you, to just be freaking decent, you sociopathicly deviant pric*?

Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 4, 2008 at 04:35 PM
anon 3:37, ___ doesn't just happen if your careful. It usually happens when your not thinking. I guess that makes you the idiot.

Posted by: anon on Sep 4, 2008 at 03:37 PM
to all the people posting the negative comments. Have any of you idiots ever heard "accidents happen". In this article if the parents are so worried about there kid riding the bus then maybe they should give their kid a ride to school everyday. Yes I do agree the person that did the mix up should be punished, but come on people ____ happens!

Posted by: amazed Location: dane county on Sep 4, 2008 at 03:14 PM
to those who feel this is a waste of time - why did you bother even reading it, or posting your comments? Seriously - do you need some nanny to tell you what to read and what not to read? You can't possibly choose on your own? Crikey, some people drive me nuts.

Posted by: D Location: Madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 03:12 PM
Ya know in all honesty a parent,babysitter,etc should have been at that bus stop before the bus was to drop the child. Another thing this child might not have ridden the bus in the morning and that could be why she wasnt sure where to get off

Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 4, 2008 at 03:04 PM
If this child was five years old, why didn't the driver wait to see if an adult was waiting for the child. Anyone who is a parent of a five year old would be waiting for their child on their first day after school.

Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 4, 2008 at 02:36 PM
How does this happen? Did the Bus driver tell her it was the last stop and to get out?

Posted by: Amanda Location: Portage on Sep 4, 2008 at 01:20 PM
At the risk of "K" on 09/04/2008 at 11:36AM saying I'm wasting people's time, can anyone find a spelling error in the tag line NBC15 used? I could see where they could have added a comma, but I can't find a spelling mistake. Also, my comment hasn't been posted yet so I might be repeating myself, but when I was in kindergarten we got colored drawings of animals put in plastic sleeves and tied to our backpacks. The bus had a corresponding picture. That way the bus driver knew we were on the right bus. 21 years later I remember I was on the Yellow Puppy Bus.

Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 4, 2008 at 01:12 PM
To K: agree this story WASTE OF TIME!!

Posted by: j Location: madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 01:11 PM
k, did you forget to take your medication this morning? some people

Posted by: parent Location: rock county on Sep 4, 2008 at 01:03 PM
My son was left on a bus because he fell asleep on the bus and the driver did not notice. The school had to go and check the bus after it was parked. He was still sleeping and did not know what happend. Rock county may need to look into policies.

Posted by: D Location: DeForest on Sep 4, 2008 at 01:02 PM
The real question is why was that child left at a bus stop or bus drop that she may have known was not right - while the school may be partially at fault - don't forget the bus company

Posted by: Sandy Location: Madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 11:45 AM
It took something like this to make the school system come up with a method to ensure that children get on the proper bus ? Should have done that a LONG time ago !

Posted by: New Kindergarten Mom Location: Madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 11:41 AM
My daughter just started Kindergarten this week and I wish the schools were more attentive to helping the little ones find their way. These kids are dropped off in a brand new environment and have absolutely no idea what they're supposed to do. It breaks my heart to have to leave her every day and hope we all figure things out soon.

Posted by: K on Sep 4, 2008 at 11:36 AM
"After a mistake at school a kindergartner is dropped off by the bus 5 miles away from home, all by herself." LEARN HOW TO SPELL and who picked this story??? what a waste of time

Posted by: jay Location: madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Why would the bus driver of the child drop her off at a different location then the address that the school gives him unless he has a parent note saying to? Or doesn't it work that way anymore where the school provides the bus company with a address of where every child is to be dropped off at.

Posted by: amazed Location: dane county on Sep 4, 2008 at 10:00 AM
How scary for that child! I think the principal is correct, I'm glad to see he admitted there is no excuse for this, and I'm glad they have an easy to follow system to help avoid it in the future.

Posted by: D Location: Madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 09:37 AM
The poor kid had to be scared out of her mind when she realized she got off at the wrong stop. Hopefully her parents had the insite to have her Address and Phone number on or in her backpack. When I drove bus we had a rule, basically if the child wasnt sure about where they were to get off and didnt see a relative or babysitter and had the info in their backpacks we always took them back to school. I dont feel it was the bus drivers fault because they are dealing with 70 kids and looking out for the childrens safety including traffic and making sure people stop for the red lights and stop arm. I for one think a parent should have been out there at the bus stop waiting for the bus since this child was so young. I am glad she is home safe. But it is a lesson learned by all

Posted by: Genevieve Location: Madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 09:16 AM
It is so very fortunate for everyone involved that a family friend happened to live in the Rockvale Mobile Home Park. The complete horror Gracie and her parents must have felt and the anger afterwards...you are in my thoughts.

Posted by: Amanda Location: Portage on Sep 4, 2008 at 09:09 AM
When I was in kindergarten we got different colored drawings of animals in plastic sleeves tied to our backpacks and there was a matching color and animal in the window of the bus. 21 years later, I still remember I was on the Yellow Puppy Bus. School districts don't do that anymore? Why did the little girl get off the bus if it wasn't her stop? I suppose she was very frightened and worried, but now she needs to be taught to ask for help when she needs it, especially from bus drivers and teachers - just the first in many lessons she'll be learning now that she's in the public school system. Poor girl, though, I would have been so upset and hurt if it had been my daughter.

Posted by: Kristin Location: Madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 08:46 AM
That happened to me when I was in kindergarten. Some days I walked to the babysitter's house, on other days I rode the bus home. One day I got on the bus when I should have walked to the babysitter's. I got dropped off at home and the doors were locked. Luckily the bus driver had to "double back" past our house again and saw me crying on the driveway. She brought me back to the school and everything got worked out. Like the parents in the story, mine were terriffied for that little bit of time when no one knew where I was.

Posted by: T Location: Madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 07:56 AM
My son just started kindergarden and this story made me tear up. I can only imagine how this poor girl felt! I'd be furious.

Posted by: Stephanie Location: Madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 06:48 AM
My heart goes out to this little girl and her parents. Things like this are one of the main reasons that I always drop off and pick up my daughter from school, or have someone I trust do it when I cannot, because no school employee (no matter how loving, kind, caring, devoted) is ever going to watch over someone else's kid like the child's parent would! 5 years old is *so* very young to be sent off by one's self to face the world!

Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 4, 2008 at 05:09 AM
What's confusing here,First, why would the bus driver drop off a child, just any ole where? Bus drivers are given not only the routes, but addresses too. Obviously, the driver was given the incorrect information. Did the family recently move, their address not updated? Did the child get off the bus with another child? Why didn't the child say, this isn't my home? There's more to this situation then what's being told. I hope Gracie, gets back on the bus, ASAP, as it will help her to overcome this ordeal, even if it means mom or dad rides with her for a day or two. The worst scenario for her would be, for everyone to continue to talk and make this a huge deal, in front of her.

Posted by: Alice Location: Madison on Sep 4, 2008 at 12:00 AM
1. @ least the principal admits it is inexcusable, & the school is taking measures immediately to remedy the situation. 2. I am a little concerned about drivers letting children off without parents within sight to take children by the hand, especially at that age! 3. I think the color card idea is a great one, but some plan additions need to be made. I am afraid some kids may swap cards for favorite colors, Each card should have the child's name and picture on it, and drivers should have a copy in a folder/ 3 ring binder with pictures in a page with a pocket, so when they receive the cards, they can flip the book open, put the color coded card in the page with the picture, then return the book contents to the teachers the next day after the students have exited the bus. I think the drivers should also stand outside the bus, instead of sitting inside it, while the children load, to make sure to catch card mismatches early, and get help from someone like a teacher to remedy the situation

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Wisconsin on Sep 3, 2008 at 10:25 PM
Poor girl. That must have been really scary. I hope she tries to forget about it and go back to school. Good Luck Grace.

Posted by: gracie Location: Verona on Sep 3, 2008 at 09:32 PM
That happened to my daughter 2 years ago when she started kinder she was scared and didnt want to go to school after that. She doesent take the bus anymore she always wants me to take her and even after 2 years ago she still remembers I was scared to death did not know where my daughter was. Its scary and they school needs to take better care in where they put the little ones that just started school!!!

Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 3, 2008 at 08:53 PM
someone is getting fired.

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