Story Archive

Unscheduled Geography Lesson

When Hayden Smith, 4, came out from summer math camp at Boone Elementary School in Lincoln County, Mo., he told a teacher he saw his mom there to pick him up, but was told to get on the bus — their list showed he was signed up for bus service. When his mother finally inquired as to the whereabouts of her son, she was first told he was on the bus, then told he was on the way to daycare, then told he was on the way back to the school. In reality, he was dropped off at another school, and didn’t know where he was. “These are not just errors or mishaps,” says his mother, Shaina Smith, “these are our children.” She had made it clear to the school office and the boy’s teacher she would be there to pick him up, but they hadn’t amended their “list”. The school district said it investigated — by watching security camera footage from the bus, and “we found our bus driver and [district] employees taking the very best care of the child in question while following district protocol,” a spokesman said. “We are proud of their actions not only as employees of our district, but as caring individuals.” (RC/KSDK St. Louis) ...So it was not only “protocol” to dump the kid at another school, but they’re “proud” of it? That could figure in any future lawsuits.