UPDATE: A south suburban mother is demanding answers after her 6-year-old son was dropped off by a school bus and left alone in freezing temperatures for over an hour. Akira Willis reported that her son, Josiah, was abandoned at 192nd Court and Chestnut Drive in Country Club Hills on Wednesday afternoon.
Willis received a call from a neighbor around 4:30 PM, stating they had Josiah. “I was confused,” she said, “because he was supposed to be at Sykuta Elementary School for after-school tutoring.” Josiah typically attends the program from Tuesday to Thursday but expressed a desire to go home instead.
In a shocking turn of events, the school bus dropped him off at his usual stop without verifying if an adult was present. “He said, ‘It was a man that dropped me off. He just let me get off the bus with nobody there,'” Willis recounted, horrified. This revelation prompted her to contact the school immediately.
“I asked, ‘So you guys just letting 6-year-olds get off the bus by themselves without a parent present?’ Since when do we do that?” she exclaimed.
Willis also reached out to the Illinois School Bus Company in Crestwood, where she was informed that bus drivers are required to return children to school if there is no adult at the stop. However, Josiah was left unattended, raising serious concerns about safety protocols.
As of now, both Country Club Hills School District 160 and Sykuta Elementary have not responded to requests for comment, leaving the community anxious and seeking answers.
This incident highlights significant issues surrounding child safety in school transportation, especially during the winter months when temperatures can be dangerously low. The community is left questioning how such a lapse could occur and what measures will be taken to ensure it never happens again.
Willis is demanding immediate action to prevent future occurrences, emphasizing the need for accountability in child safety protocols. As this story develops, parents are urged to stay vigilant and communicate with their schools regarding transportation policies.
Stay tuned for updates as this urgent situation unfolds.
