UPDATE: A south suburban mother is demanding answers after her 6-year-old son was dropped off alone by a school bus in freezing temperatures for over an hour. The alarming incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of 192nd Court and Chestnut Drive in Country Club Hills.
Akira Willis revealed that her son, Josiah, was supposed to be in an after-school tutoring program at Sykuta Elementary School. Instead, he was prematurely sent home after telling school officials he didn’t want to attend tutoring. “My neighbor called me around 4:30 PM and said she had my son. I was confused,” Willis recounted.
According to Willis, the school bus driver let Josiah off at his usual stop, which led to him being left alone without supervision. “He was saying, ‘It was a man that dropped me off. He just let me get off the bus with nobody there.’ And I’m like, ‘What!?’ So that’s when I immediately called the school,” she said.
Willis expressed her outrage: “You guys just letting 6-year-olds get off the bus by themselves without any parent present? Since when do we do that?” This incident raises serious concerns about child safety protocols in school transportation.
When she contacted the Illinois School Bus Company in Crestwood, Willis was informed that drivers are required to return children to school if no adult is present at the drop-off location. However, both the bus company and Country Club Hills School District 160, along with Sykuta Elementary, have not responded to inquiries regarding the incident.
This shocking event highlights the urgent need for better safety measures for children in school transportation systems. As parents and community members demand accountability, all eyes are on the school district and bus company to ensure that such an incident does not happen again.
Next Steps: The community is calling for immediate action from school officials to clarify protocols and prevent future occurrences. Parents are encouraged to stay vigilant and voice their concerns as this situation continues to develop.
The chilling reality of a child being left alone in the cold underscores the importance of safety in our schools. As this story unfolds, parents in the area are urged to monitor the situation closely and advocate for their children’s safety.
