An after‑school bus ride for an 8‑year‑old Milwaukee girl ended with her standing at the wrong stop nearly a mile from home, according to her mother. A passerby found the child crying near 44th and Congress, used a contact sticker to reach the family, and the student then called her mother and made it home safely.
In an interview with FOX6, Keyva Spencer‑Ross said the mix‑up happened last week and that Townsend Elementary apologized after the family raised the alarm. Spencer‑Ross told FOX6 her daughter was dropped off nearly a mile from her usual stop and said she is seeking legal help, calling the incident "negligence." FOX6 also reported that Lakeside Buses did not respond in time to the station’s requests for comment.
District rules and the bus system
According to Milwaukee Public Schools, K–8 students are eligible for transportation only if they live outside a one‑mile walk zone, and elementary students are typically assigned to a safe‑corner stop within roughly a quarter‑mile of home. The district states that all K3–K5 students must be met by a responsible adult or sibling, or have written parent permission to be unaccompanied. MPS also promotes a real‑time bus tracking app and lists its contracted carriers in an online directory that includes Lakeside.
Similar mistakes have been reported
Other Milwaukee parents have recently come forward with their own stories of routing mishaps, adding fuel to growing frustration with outsourced bus companies. TMJ4 reported a separate case involving two sisters from Kilbourn Elementary who were left more than 20 blocks from their grandmother’s home. In that situation, MPS told the station it was working with the bus company involved to address what happened.
Parent reaction and next steps
Spencer‑Ross told FOX6 she no longer trusts the bus to bring her child home and is rethinking how her daughter will get to and from school. She said district officials have already met with her family and apologized. According to FOX6, the district said it is reviewing the incident "alongside the bus company" to figure out how the error occurred and how to keep it from happening again.
What families can do
MPS encourages families to keep emergency contacts up to date in Infinite Campus, to double‑check assigned bus stops before the school year begins, and to use the district’s tracking app to follow routes in real time. If a bus is more than 10 minutes late or there are other pickup or drop‑off problems, the district instructs parents to call their assigned bus company or contact the Department of Business and Transportation Services at (414) 475‑8922 for help.
