A Goddard Eisenhower school student was left behind for hours while on a field trip Wednesday morning.
A concerned parent contacted KAKE News and said the school bus made a stop at the Matfield Green service station on the Kansas Turnpike, where the 14-year-old was left behind.
“Students were asked if anyone was not on the bus, and it appeared that everyone was there and so they went on up the highway and realized a little bit later that one of the students had been left behind,” said Annette Singletary, director of community relations for Goddard Public Schools. “They asked if all the students were on the bus, but there were some procedures that were not followed as appropriately and as carefully as they should have.
Two teachers were in charge of the 20 to 30 jazz band students who were on the way to a music competition in Ottawa, Kan.
Service station employees said the student was at Matfield Green for two to three hours. He did not have a cell phone or money.
Singletary said the district did contact the service station about the situation. Employees said they entertained the boy while he was there, but in an unfortunate twist, the student was also sick that day.
“They found out after the fact that he was not feeling well,” she said. “Maybe had some car sickness and maybe hadn’t shared that information, so no one was aware that he wasn’t feeling well.”
Staff members returned to the KTA stop to pick up the boy, and he did make it to the music contest.
As for the those responsible, Singletary could not confirm if the two teachers would be disciplined because it is a personnel matter.
Singletary also noted that it is not district policy for the bus driver to take a head count of the students if a teacher is present. After this incident, she said the district said it will review its field trip policy soon.