Lewiston 3rd-Grader Stranded at School Bus Stop

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — An 8-year-old girl left alone at a school bus stop has prompted Lewiston schools to put into writing a policy that prohibits drivers from leaving students behind.

Rachel Middleton says she dropped her third-grade daughter at the bus stop Tuesday morning, then went to work. The girl had been suspended from riding the bus, but the suspension had ended.

The driver called supervisors to ask whether she could ride. Middleton tells the Sun Journal that because of a clerical error, the driver was told the girl wasn't allowed on the bus. She was left behind.

When the girl did not arrive at school, staff called the bus company, which sent a van to pick her up.

Superintendent Bill Webster says he was assured by the bus company that it wouldn't happen again.