Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Mother wants answers after 5-year-old dropped off at wrong bus stop

Amaya was supposed to be picked up at Roberto and Dr. Francisco Jimenez Elementary School in Santa Maria, but the kindergartner was instead dropped off more than four miles away, according to Medina. (KSBY via CNN Newsource) Amaya was supposed to be picked up at Roberto and Dr. Francisco Jimenez Elementary School in Santa Maria, but the kindergartner was instead dropped off more than four miles away, according to Medina. (KSBY via CNN Newsource)
Share
SANTA MARIA, Calif. -

Amaya Medina was excited for her first day riding the school bus to summer school, but a phone call after classes were over sent the girl's mother into a panic.

"I called my mom because she was the one who was picking her up," said Carmen Medina, "and then she's just like, 'Hey, you know, Amaya is not on the bus.'"

Amaya was supposed to be picked up by her grandmother at Roberto and Dr. Francisco Jimenez Elementary School in Santa Maria, but the kindergartner was instead dropped off more than four miles away at Arellanes Elementary, according to Medina.

Medina says a good Samaritan found her daughter wandering around a Tanglewood neighbourhood and called the school using the number on Amaya's lanyard.

"You don't know how I am feeling until it happens to your kids," Medina said. "Then you can tell me you know how it's feeling. You know, it's like, God forbid something bad would have happened."

Medina has been seeking answers from the Santa Maria-Bonita School District ever since.

"I hear a lot of, 'I'm sorry, but I followed protocol,' you know, 'I'm sorry, but we did what we were supposed to do.'"

KSBY reached out to the school district to find out what led to Amaya being let off at the wrong bus stop and whether any changes in protocol are being made.

While the district did not answer those or many other questions, KSBY was given the following statement that reads in part:

This unfortunate situation facilitated a review of internal practices for transporting our youngest of our very precious students. The safety and well-being of our students are our highest priorities, and we are confident in the improved ability of our transportation system to safely get students to school and back home.

The school District and its contracted bus transportation company have already made the necessary adjustments to ensure this does not happen again. We appreciate the trust parents place in us and are committed to maintaining that trust through continuous improvement.

Santa Maria-Bonita School District Medina is still questioning the district.

"Why did it take my daughter getting lost for you to implement this? And they're like, 'Oh, you know, we're still trying to work out the kinks,'" Medina said about her conversation with the district. "It's summer school and, like, summer school is not a new concept."

The school bus company, First Student, said in a statement to KSBY that the company is actively working in partnership with the district to review and address the incident to ensure it does not happen again.

Medina says her daughter no longer wants to ride the bus because she's afraid of getting lost again.

With summer school ending soon, Medina has decided to take her daughter to and from school herself.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

The brother of a 27-year-old man who was fatally shot in Scarborough over the weekend has been arrested and charged in connection with his death, say police.

The Royal Canadian Mint has introduced its latest Gold Maple Leaf bullion coin – made entirely from gold sourced from a single mine in northern Ontario

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.