School bus driver who forgot child on bus will keep his job

A school division in southern Saskatchewan says a bus driver who forgot a child on his bus last week will face consequences, but will not lose his job.

Tony Baldwin, director of education with the Prairie South school division, says the bus driver did not follow the proper procedure for ensuring his bus was empty when he dropped students off last at Gravelbourg elementary school last Friday morning.

Baldwin says that will have consequences for the driver, but would not say what those will be except to say he will not lose his job.

Baldwin said the school division could also have done a better job in the wake of the incident. Once the boy was safe, Baldwin said it took too long for him to be notified and as a result, it took too long for him to speak with the family.

The seven-year-old boy's mother, Barb Holmes, said she is disappointed with the response. She said she waited all day Friday for an apology from someone, but heard nothing.

It was not until Monday afternoon, after she had spoken out publicly, that Holmes said the bus driver called to apologize.

Holmes said she has lost confidence in the bus driver and must now decide what other options she has for getting her son to school.