Parents Take Matters into Their Own Hands Amid School Bus Transportation Failures

Parents in a quiet Connecticut suburb are increasingly concerned about recent issues with school bus services, including instances where students were left stranded or taken to incorrect locations. The school district’s transportation provider, First Student, took over specialized routes in June, but delays and misplacements have caused significant distress.

One parent, Somers McCray, had to track her autistic son after his bus was driven nearly 40 miles away from his designated drop-off point. When she contacted the dispatch, she learned the GPS tracking for her child’s bus wasn’t working. Using her phone’s location, she discovered her son was in Danbury. McCray quickly coordinated with police and the school district to arrange a safe pickup at a nearby gas station in Southington, approximately 10 miles away. Her son was exhausted and frightened after the ordeal, experiencing headaches from the travel.

Similarly, another parent, Lilly Reyes, faced a different transportation error when her nonverbal, wheelchair-bound son was taken to the wrong school after the driver used GPS to navigate without proper paperwork. The school in Plainville alerted the correct school, allowing her son to arrive there later in the morning, though the incident caused unnecessary stress.

These transportation failures have led to emotional and behavioral impacts on the children, with some becoming increasingly dysregulated, hitting themselves and lashing out. The district’s superintendent acknowledged that the new contractor wasn’t fully prepared for the start of the school year but assured that steps are being taken to improve service, including hiring additional drivers from out of state. The district is also considering financial penalties against First Student for its shortcomings. Neither the school district nor First Student responded immediately to requests for comment.