Seminole County family frightened after school bus mix-up

Seminole County family frightened after school bus mix-up

A Seminole County family says they were left panicked when one of their children failed to get off his school bus on Tuesday afternoon.

SANFORD, Fla. - A Seminole County family says they were left panicked when their child failed to get off his school bus.

What we know:

On Tuesday, a mix-up in Seminole County left parents alarmed when 11-year-old Jalen Pylant, who has autism, did not get off his school bus as expected. 

His father was waiting at the stop to pick up both Jalen and his brother, but only the brother stepped off. School officials later determined Jalen had boarded the wrong bus after class. 

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District staff said an administrator met him at his regular stop to ensure his safety and speak with his family.

What we don't know:

It's unknown whether additional measures will be put in place to prevent a repeat incident.

The backstory:

Jalen’s mother, Stephanie Pylant, said her son’s autism makes it challenging for him to remember numbers and follow multi-step instructions without guidance. She said his needs require information to be broken into smaller pieces and that he needs help with daily routines. 

On the day of the incident, his teacher reportedly had arranged for him to ride a different bus but may not have communicated that change effectively.

What they're saying:

Stephanie Pylant said her son, Jalen, struggles with memorizing numbers.

"His memory isn't there. He has to have a lot of things shrunk down for him, broken down for him and has to have a help with a lot of different things that he does," she said.

Seminole County School District officials say Jalen's teacher didn't get the message that he was supposed to take a different bus that day.

"It's just not a good feeling because you're not there at the end of the day, to make sure that they're safe and that they feel okay," she said.

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We reached out to Seminole County Schools for comment. They say they understand this was scary for Jalen's parents, and at no time was he in danger or lost.

In a statement, the district wrote, "The school contacted the transportation department to confirm [Jalen] had boarded his original bus, which was the case. The transportation team had an administrator on-site to greet him at his regular stop and speak with the family to answer any questions and address their concerns."

Pylant says she just wants to make sure her kids are safe.

"I should know when I send my kids to school…he's going to make it home," she added.

What you can do:

School officials advise parents to immediately call their child’s school if a student fails to arrive at their bus stop as expected.