Grandparent says child arrived home 2 hours late on first day of school; district issues apology

A grandmother said she was panicked when her granddaughter did not get off the school bus Tuesday.

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As reported on News Center 7 at 11, Linda Williams has custody of her two grandkids. She dropped them off at the bus stop Tuesday morning for their first day of school, but when their grandfather went to go pick them up at the bus stop panic set in.

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“Grandpa got to the bus stop to get them and then only the little boy gets off,” Williams said. “He’s asking the bus driver , and even asked our grandson, ‘where’s your sister?’ And he’s like… ‘she didn’t get on the bus.’”

Williams said she tried getting a hold of the school but no luck.

“Even the bus driver is trying to radio in and he can’t get through because everything is so busy,” Williams said.

A spokesperson for Vandalia Butler Schools said these “major transportation challenges” were “unacceptable.”

In a statement sent to parents and provided to News Center 7, Vandalia Butler Schools said in part:

“ First, we sincerely apologize for the delay in dismissal today. The amount of time it took to dismiss not only bus riders, but also our car riders is not typical; even for a first day. We were at a disadvantage from the beginning with several buses from St. Chris running behind which then compounded an already difficult situation.”

“It’s not a delay in dismissal. You lost kids today, that’s not a delay,” Williams said. “Somebody needs to be held accountable to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Vandalia police confirmed they responded to calls from concerned parents and guardians Tuesday afternoon who said their children had not been dropped off.

News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.

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