Clarksville Student Missing For Hours After Being Put On A City Bus By School District Staff

Image Credit: CMCSS & Canva.

Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –

A 12-year-old student from a Clarksville alternative school with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) went missing for five hours on the first day of school after a Clarksville Montgomery County School Systems (CMCSS) employee put him on a public bus instead of his assigned special transport school bus. 

According to local reporting from Clarksville Now, the student, who is remaining anonymous for privacy, receives special transportation as part of his IEP. His mother became concerned when around midday of the first day of school on August 5, she noticed he had not yet returned home after the half day.

Assuming the buses were running late, she called home around 2:30 pm after finishing work to see if her son was back but was told by her other children he still had not returned from school. She immediately called the Greenwood Alternative School to confirm what time students were sent home for the day and informed staff her son had not made it home.

“His school called me again and stated that they were informed that a teacher had given him money and put him on a public bus,” she said, adding that her son had never ridden a public bus before.

Trying to find her son, the mother went to the city’s downtown transit center but became increasingly worried when he was not there. A Transit Center worker was able to notify all city bus drivers about the missing child, sending his name and picture, while the mother called police to file a missing child report and stayed in contact the school and transportation staff.

The mother was informed by a bus driver on break that he had seen the missing student get on a bus headed towards the opposite end of town. A neighbor’s daughter finally found the child walking alongside a busy road and brought him home. 

During his missing five hours, the child reportedly said he rode five different buses and waited at one stop for over an hour in the heat, though fortunately some kind strangers looked out for him while he was trying to find his way home. One person offered him water because he was “dehydrated and dizzy,” and while waiting at a bus stop near a McDonald’s an employee gave him food.

“I’m super thankful for those two people that kept an eye on my baby,” the mother said.

When asked why he didn’t speak up sooner, the student said he trusted the teacher had put him on the right bus. After trying to inform the bus driver multiple times about the situation, the mother said the boy was told to “sit down and be quiet”, so he continued riding the bus and asking people how he could get home.

The principal of Greenwood Alternative and the staff member who put the child on the bus met the mother at the Transit Center, apologizing for the “miscommunication.” The staff member told the mother that when he asked students how they were getting home and the student replied, “the bus”, the staff member assumed he meant the public bus, gave him money, and put him on the city bus.

Following the incident, the mother says her son was exhausted and expressed hesitation about returning to school. 

“He’s just been very on guard about everything, and he brings it up multiple times a day,” she said. “This shouldn’t be taken lightly. Those five hours of my kid missing were horrible. It’s a terrible feeling to not know where your child is.”

Per a spokesperson for the district, parents of students remanded to the Alternative School are generally responsible for transportation to and from school, and though some IEPs do provide transportation as a special service, “it is not universal or common at the Alternative School.” 

He added that Alternative School students often ride public buses, noting there is a city bus stop in front of the building, and the school has community partnerships to provide a limited number of bus passes if a family cannot provide their own transportation.

The CMCSS spokesperson said that federal state and privacy laws prevent him from discussing any information related to the student, but that he intends to “follow up with Alternative School to ensure any potential concerns have been resolved.” 

Sources:

Clarksville Now

About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.