Editorial Team
An undisclosed number of elementary school students were dropped off at the wrong stop after a substitute bus driver in Boston ignored pleas from students to reroute.
He just told the kids – students at Holmes Innovation School, which describes itself as “an inclusion school” – to sit down and proceeded to continue in the wrong direction.
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One boy, Avelino, was dropped off at a Walgreens about a mile from his house. Also, it was his tenth birthday. According to Boston 25 News, he was with two other kids. It’s unclear if any other wrong stops were made.
Here’s where the little dude spent his birthday.
“He’s very traumatized,” Avelino’s aunt told NBC Boston. “…he didn’t want to celebrate. He was just crying and just saying like how terrible of a birthday it was and he was so scared…he’s still pretty shaken up about it.”
Avelino ultimately ran inside the Walgreens and asked a customer for help. The customer, a teacher from another school, drove the boy home.
Regarding the two other kids, “They grabbed each other’s hand and ran off…we don’t know if those children made it home safely,” Avelino’s aunt told Boston 25 News.
Boston Public Schools is investigating the incident.
“I want to reassure families that this matter is being fully investigated and will be addressed consistent with district policies,” said Principal Lianne Hughes-Odom. “The BPS Transportation Department is committed to providing safe transportation to and from school for our students, and is taking steps to address this issue, and we are sharing this information to foster open and transparent communication. We understand that this incident may be concerning to you.”
