Mother says 5-year-old boy left at school for hours before he's found asleep on floor

SILSBEE, Texas (KFDM) — The mother of a 5-year-old kindergarten student told KFDM she's removing her children from a school district in Texas after an incident she said left her both frightened and outraged.

Her 5-year-old boy attended Laura Reeves Primary in Silsbee and rode the bus home each day. On Monday, she said he wasn't put on the bus, and when her other children arrived home, her kindergartener wasn't with them.

She said no one knew where he was.

I was assured multiple times that he wasn't at the school and was put on the bus, and they kept telling me that he was let off the bus at my house," the mother told KFDM. "Almost two hours later, he was found at the school in the Pre-K hall classroom, asleep on the floor."

Silsbee Independent School District posted a statement on its Facebook page Tuesday, apologizing for what happened.

A student became inadvertently separated from the other students during the late afternoon bus run, fell asleep in a classroom and was not placed on the bus en route to the student's home," Silsbee ISD wrote on its Facebook page. "Upon realization, the parents notified law enforcement and immediately went to their child's campus. During that time, the child was located by the custodial worker and within the building and was safely and quickly reunited with the parents."

The district said it was an isolated incident and has prompted Silsbee ISD to reevaluate its procedures and protocols regarding after-school bus delays.

The district's chief concern after an incident like this is the well-being of the student and to ensure that such occurrences are prevented in the future," said the district. "Campus administrators have been actively engaged in addressing this matter and have expressed sincere apologies to the child's family. We appreciate the vigilance of our parents and staff and helping maintain the well-being of our students."

The mother said the apology doesn't lessen her anger. She added she now questions his safety and that of her other children in SISD.

That's why the mother said she decided to remove all of her children from Silsbee ISD.