Rogers father says daughter was dropped off at grocery store instead of bus stop
By Abner Sosa
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ROGERS, Ark. (KHBS, KHOG) — A Rogers father says his daughter, who takes the bus to school, was dropped off outside a grocery store instead of her designated stop.
Rogers Public Schools told 40/29 News that if a student is on the wrong bus or there is a mix-up with routes, the driver is supposed to return them to their school or their stop. But Conrad Henson said that did not happen for his daughter on the first day of school.
“It’s not about pointing fingers and trying to get someone in trouble,” Henson said. “It’s to be aware and make sure that, you know, not just me, but other parents are OK if [students] get on the wrong bus. They’re not just going to get dropped off in town somewhere.”
The first week of school is underway in Rogers and other districts, and with thousands riding the bus, officials say mix-ups can happen. Henson said his daughter, a sophomore at Rogers New Tech High School, rides multiple buses to get home. On Wednesday, he said, one bus was late, and after a transfer, the driver took her to the wrong part of town.
“The bus driver dropped her off at the Harp’s grocery store,” Henson said. “And here I am in Springdale, just pulled into work. So, I mean, I just literally just got out of the work truck, jumped in my personal truck, kept her on the phone, and drove down.”
The district was unavailable for an interview, but a spokesperson said the confusion started when the student boarded the wrong bus. Henson said his daughter boarded the bus she was told to take, but the district had given them incorrect information.
“Right before the school year started, he called the bus part to get the bus numbers for me,” said Autumn Henson, Conrad’s daughter. “And they said that I was supposed to get on the bus that was wrong, apparently.”
Once the district learned what happened, the communications director said they worked quickly to resolve it, and Henson said administrators called with an apology.
“I understand hiccups happen and accidents happen, and that’s fine and dandy,” Henson said. “But what’s not excusable is just dropping the kid off in an unfamiliar part of town. Follow the procedure, you know, make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”
Henson said his daughter got a ride to school the next day, but plans to try the bus again, hoping the situation does not happen again.
The district’s communications director said administrators plan to meet with all bus drivers to review protocols and prevent similar incidents in the future.
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