Macon elementary student left alone at bus stop, parent questions bus drop-off procedures

A Bibb County school bus approaches a bus stop on Aug. 5, 2026, (Joshua Harrison-Williams).

BIBB COUNTY, Ga. (WGXA) —The new school year started this past Monday in Macon-Bibb County, and one parent is already dissatisfied with the district’s transportation after her seven-year-old daughter was left alone at a bus stop after school

The young student had just finished her first day of second grade at Matilda Hartley Elementary School, but on the way home, she was dropped off at her new bus stop while being listed as a car rider for the week

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She was then picked up by a neighbor who contacted her mother after seeing the girl crying at the bus stop

“While I was waiting in the car rider lane after they brought out my son, my daughter was on a bus. She ended up getting picked up from this bus stop by a, you know, a good Samaritan, but it very easily could have gone the wrong, you know, the other way,” said the girl’s mother, Layauna Peppers

Peppers said the school could not get in contact with the bus driver who dropped her daughter off and is now questioning the missing child protocol of Bibb County schools

“I asked them what the protocols are. None of them could tell me off the top of my head, and I told them during our meeting, if you have to sit and look in a book what the missing child protocols are, you’re wasting precious time,” said Peppers. “I don’t feel safe with my children here.”

Matilda Hartley Elementary School (Joshua Harrison-Williams).

After the incident, Peppers met with the school’s principal and assistant principal, as well as the Bibb County Board of Education and pitched new ideas to prevent similar situations in the future. Peppers also noted the local crime rate and trafficking worries as to why Macon-Bibb County should change the way they look after its students

“Macon has a huge crime rate; the sex trafficking ring was busted, leading to 13 arrests last year,” said Peppers. “All the worst thoughts were going through my head.”

WGXA checked Bibb County Schools District’s policies for protocols in case a child goes missing or becomes unaccounted for in similar circumstances and found nothing relevant in the code of conduct

However, WGXA did find a list ofbus rules andbus stop safety rules, including one reminding students never to talk to strangers at a bus stop

WGXA also asked the district for a statement on the incident, it’s policy on the supervision of children under the age of eight, as well as how that policy applies to bus-rider drop-offs

“Bibb County is in contact with the parent regarding this matter,” the district answered

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Source: wgxa.tv