Hillsboro mom upset after son with special needs left in Columbus
Mom says student was also left last year during school year
A Hillsboro mother is outraged after her son with special needs was left behind in Columbus.
Drivers from two school districts didn't pick him up from the Ohio School for the Deaf in Columbus on Friday.
“You forgot is a big enough issue. How do you forget?” said Krista Moore. “I'm angry and I'm upset and I'm hurt. I don't know that I trust them to go Friday to pick him up."
No one showed up to pick up her son, John, 19, who suffers from cerebral palsy.
Moore and her family live in the Hillsboro School District, which is responsible for picking up her son every Friday after he stays there during the week.
The mother received a text from her son, saying the driver hadn’t come about two hours after her son was supposed to be picked up.
“My son, luckily, has a mode of communication and that's to text me. What about a kid that doesn't, and is stuck and can't tell anybody that they're there? I mean it is a huge deal,” said Moore. “It happened last year during the school year once and they forgot and they apologized. Then it happened twice, so do I wait on the third time to see what happens?"
Moore alerted the district and said officials didn't know her son hadn't been picked up until she called.
“I am like tears streaming down my face, shaking and can't even function,” said Moore.
Hillsboro Superintendent Jim Smith told WLWT the Miami Trace School district picks John up from The School for the Deaf in Columbus and takes him to Jeffersonville and from there, Hillsboro takes him home.
The weather shut down both districts on Friday and Smith admits drivers from both districts forgot to get him.
Smith said Miami Trace also transports another student to the Ohio School for the Deaf and this past Friday the Miami Trace student wasn't at the Ohio School for the Deaf and the driver forgot to transport the Hillsboro student.
But Miami Trace said Wednesday that their contract clearly states that if school is closed, it does not provide transportation. The district provided a copy of the contract to WLWT News 5.
As soon as the Hillsboro school found out about John, they drove to Columbus to pick up John and a teacher stayed with him until the van arrived about two hours late.
“During this time, we were in constant communication with the parent and advised her as to our progress,” said Smith in a statement to WLWT. "We regret the mix-up, have apologized to the parent and will work to make sure this doesn't happen again. Had somebody called and apologized formally, we probably wouldn't sit here,” said Moore.
John’s family said they're thankful they didn't end up in a situation asking what if.
"I'm still grateful that he's here, but the outcome could have been the complete opposite of that,” said Moore.
The Hillsboro Superintendent said the district will look at communication and procedures to see what needs to change.