ST. LOUIS — It was a stressful end to the first week of school for some families in south St. Louis.
Parents say they panicked at the bus stop on Friday, when they realized their kids' bus was hours late and no one could tell them where it was.
“I completely flipped out,” Keandrea Williams said.
She waited along with other parents for her second-grader to come home Friday afternoon, capping the first week of school at Kipp Wisdom Academy.
“No, it's not OK for your child to get out at 1:30 p.m., and it's 4 o'clock and you're still looking for your child,” Amanda Danko said.
The parents told 5 On Your Side they called the school and the bus contractor First Student and got no information.
Then Danko's phone rang. It was her fourth-grader calling from the bus driver's phone.
"I'm like, ‘Where's the bus, where are y'all at?’ And he said, ‘I don't know. The bus driver don't know where she at, she doesn't even know the route,’" Danko said.
After two and a half hours, the parents said they met up with that lost bus four blocks from their stop and picked up their children.
They said it was the second day in a row of major problems.
"Yesterday they could not find my child for three hours,” Williams said. The bus was late Thursday, too, and when it did arrive, her daughter wasn't on it.
"I instantly had a panic attack,” she said.
An employee put her daughter on the wrong bus, and she didn't get home until after 7 p.m., Williams said.
"It was almost bedtime for her when she returned,” Williams said. "It's getting ridiculous,” she said.
5 On Your Side reached out to First Student to ask what caused the problems and how they plan to fix them. We have not received a response.
Kipp Academy sent 5 On Your Side this statement:
Late this afternoon, we were notified that a First Student school bus, transporting KIPP Wisdom Academy Students, was delayed in dropping off students at their assigned bus stops. Once notified, we were in contact with KIPP’s transportation partner, First Student, to ensure that all students were being safely and quickly delivered to the appropriate destinations.
Throughout the school year we work closely with families and First Student to ensure that buses run smoothly. The start of the year is when we want to establish strong systems for excellent bus service. We are happy to report that all students have arrived safely home to their families.
As always, the safety of our students and staff is our top priority.
Kelly Garrett
Executive Director, KIPP St. Louis Public Schools