As a bus driver for a large urban school district, I can tell you
that it's the teacher's responsibility to get children on the correct
buses. In Columbus, children wear their bus color to and from
school for the first two weeks until everyone knows where they
go. K teachers are responsible for getting children on the correct
bus as bus drivers do not get complete or accurrate lists of children's names. People move at the last minute, neglect to
advise the school system of their new address and just put kids
on the buses in the morning. Sometimes, one driver picks them up and one takes them home. Sometimes, a driver is sick and
a sub does not know who children are nor have time to check because if we are late due to these kinds of things-parents panic.
The only way I would allow my K child to ride a school bus in the
first weeks would be to personally follow the bus there and back or have a sibling with them making sure they get on and off.
Sometimes siblings totally ignore each other though, really!
My son does not ride the bus.
I am so sorry you had this horrible experience. Her teacher is
the one putting her on the bus and should have a list including
each child and what route/bus number they ride. Because the
driver was not familiar with the children and because many people
do not have their young children ride in the first few weeks,
the bus driver was correct in telling you what she would have done had you not tracked her down. Make sure your children
have their name, address and phone numbers in their backpack
AND memorized. That way a bus driver will always be able to
identify them to the supervisors and find out where they belong.
!!! I freak out when my DD walks to far ahead of me at the mall.
I hope that other 5 yo has parents like you.
