6-year-old dropped off at wrong bus stop in Charles County

CHARLES COUNTY, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - A six-year-old boy was found wandering through a Charles County neighborhood by himself after he was dropped off at the wrong bus stop on the first day of school.

The Billingsley Elementary School student was left at the bus stop with no parents present.

Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather

According to the school, another bus driver from the elementary school spotted the child looking upset and stopped to check on him. The driver then picked him up and brought him back to the school.

School administrators say they called the child's parents to tell them where he was and his mom came to the school to pick him up. Officials say she was visibly angry and did not want to speak with the principal at the time.

FOX 5 spoke with six-year-old CJ Battle and his parents Monday night. They tell a different story.

"I got off the bus, I looked around and I saw that I wasn't at my neighborhood, so I started walking and walking farther," CJ told FOX 5. "I saw these people, so I walked past them and I started crying because I didn't know where I was."

CJ's father, Calvin Battle, says he and his wife were angry at the lack of communication from the school.

"They never told us that our son was dropped off anywhere," Calvin said.

CJ's parents say a pedestrian found him as he was going through the neighborhood. They're asking that person to come forward.

"Whoever you are, sir or ma'am, if you see this, please reach out to FOX 5 to contact us because we owe you gratitude that cannot be described."

In a statement, Charles County Public Schools said:

"In speaking with the principal of Billingsley Elementary School, Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) administrators learned that the student was sent home on the correct bus by the classroom teacher in the afternoon at dismissal. The bus driver reportedly dropped the student off at the wrong bus stop in the neighborhood.

Another Billingsley Elementary School bus driver saw the student wandering, looking lost and upset, and pulled over to inquire what happened. This driver then asked the student to board the bus and drove the child back to Billingsley Elementary School. School administrators reached out to the student’s family by phone to explain what happened, and to share that the student was safe and accounted for at the school. The mother arrived at the school to pick up her child, was visibly angry and did not wish to speak with the principal about the situation.

CCPS administrators reached out to the parents this evening to further talk about what happened, and to apologize for what happened to their child at the end of the school day.

We apologize for this situation, to this student and the family. This is not an experience we wish for any of our students, let alone a first-grader. Our transportation administrators are working with our bus contractors and bus drivers to ensure this does not happen to a student again."