SOUTH BEND — Interim South Bend schools Superintendent James Kapsa said the corporation is continuing to investigate an incident in which a 5-year-old Kennedy Primary Academy student was left on a bus.

The incident happened Thursday morning and South Bend Community School Corp. transportation officials say they didn’t learn about until the afternoon.

Kapsa and transportation director Judith Dahlstrom met with the student’s mom, Judy Holtsclaw, Thursday afternoon.

According to Holtsclaw, her son fell asleep on the bus after getting on a little before 8 a.m. He did not wake up when the other children exited the vehicle once it arrived at Kennedy.

The boy remained on the bus when the driver returned to the corporation’s bus lot on Bendix Drive.

When the boy woke up, Holtsclaw said, he was alone. He exited the bus and found an adult on the lot who took him to his bus driver.

The driver then put the boy back on the bus, Dahlstrom said, and returned him to school. The boy was not harmed and was in class by 8:30 a.m., Holtsclaw said.

On the way home the boy told his afternoon bus driver what happened. That bus driver then notified Holtsclaw and the transportation office.

Kapsa said the bus driver, whose name is not being released, was interviewed Friday morning and that version of the incident is being reviewed.

Dahlstrom said the driver is suspended pending the investigation.

Kapsa said he hopes to make disciplinary decision regarding the matter Monday.

Two years ago a driver was fired for leaving a student on a bus for more than four hours.

According to Dahlstrom, drivers are required to check on and under each seat before exiting their bus.

South Bend buses are also equipped with the Child Check-Mate system, which requires deactivation from the back of the bus. If a driver does not deactivate the system after the ignition is turned off, the bus’ lights will flash and its horn will sound.

The purpose is to make drivers walk to the back of the bus before they leave.

Dahlstrom said Thursday that it doesn’t appear that all procedures were followed.

Staff writer Michael Wanbaugh:
mwanbaugh@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6176