District: Bus driver left students at wrong stops in Centereach

The Middle Country school district confirmed Tuesday that a group of students from Oxhead Road Elementary School, in Centereach, were dropped off at the wrong bus stops Monday, and pledged that disciplinary action would be taken against the responsible adult once the case is reviewed.

All children returned home safely, the district added. School officials blamed the mix-up on a substitute bus driver who apparently was unfamiliar with stops in the Centereach area.

A statement issued by Superintendent Roberta Gerold and other administrators thanked parents who helped students get home, adding, "The district will use this incident as a learning experience to ensure this type of error does not occur again."

The parent of one fourth-grader, Allison Abrusci, said she was told that the bus driver ordered six students to disembark a mile from their usual stop, after the bus took a wrong turn.

"So my daughter goes to the bus driver and tells him this isn't her stop and then the driver tells her she should have been paying attention and to get off the bus," Abrusci said.

Abrusci said she had not been contacted or received an explanation from the district as of Tuesday afternoon.