A 4-year-old girl, Jahlyrika Keys, was left alone on a school bus for about six hours before she was found at a transportation lot last Thursday, according to her family and a Crowley ISD police incident report.
The girl’s mother shared a photo of her daughter with NBC DFW. Jahlyrika was supposed to be dropped off at her elementary school, about 10 minutes from the district’s bus barn, but she never arrived. Her family was not notified that she had missed school until one to two hours after classes began.
Medical records show Jahlyrika was diagnosed with ‘abandoned child’ and ‘at risk for hyperthermia.’ Crowley ISD said the 53-year-old bus driver was immediately removed from service and fired following the incident.
Investigation and Response
Crowley ISD’s buses are operated by Durham School Services, which described the incident as a ‘serious breakdown in established safety procedures.’ The district stated that they are conducting a comprehensive review and taking steps to reinforce the safeguards designed to protect every student in their care.
The driver involved in this incident failed to follow protocol, and the student should never have been left alone. In response to this incident, Crowley ISD and Durham School Services have initiated a comprehensive review of transportation procedures, documentation, staff training, and compliance with established child-check protocols.
Original reporting: Richardson, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
