Special Needs Student at Matthews Elementary Left on Tuscaloosa County School Bus Wednesday

An investigation is underway and a driver has been placed on leave after a student with special needs was left on a Tuscaloosa County School bus for some time Wednesday morning.

According to a message from new TCSS Superintendent Daniel Bray, a student at Matthews Elementary School remained on the bus for students with special needs Wednesday morning after normal drop-off.

The driver took the bus to another school and parked it there, and Bray said other school personnel discovered the student still on the bus later Wednesday morning.

"Once the student was discovered on the bus, the parent was notified of what happened, the child was evaluated by the school nurse, and family came to the school to meet the child," Bray wrote. "A school system administrator followed up with family later in the day to check on the well-being of the child."

Bray said TCSS is taking this situation extremely seriously, and called the oversight concerning and upsetting.

"The Tuscaloosa County School System is approaching this situation with the utmost concern and conducting a full investigation into what happened. Our bus driver protocol includes steps that must happen each route, to verify that no students are left on the bus at the end of the route," Bray wrote. "Our bus driver certification process requires bus drivers to re-certify and undergo safety training each year. We are thoroughly evaluating what happened in this particular situation and if all safety protocols were followed fully. The bus driver involved in this situation has been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of our investigation. Because the bus was a special needs bus, an aide was on the bus. The aide who was on the bus Wednesday morning was a substitute aide, who will no longer be serving in this capacity."

Bray reassured parents in closing that the entire school system is treating this situation with the seriousness it merits.

"Again, please know how seriously we take this situation. Our families entrust our schools with their most precious resource – their children," Bray said. "While safety and training is already at the forefront of our transportation operations, we will fully review our protocols and put any additional safeguards in place to make sure something like this never happens again. The safety of our students is our number one priority."

For more coverage of news in west Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.