JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A concerned father says his 11-year-old diabetic son was left behind at his school bus stop on just the second day of school Wednesday morning.
Carl Futch says he and his son Theodore walked 20 minutes to his bus stop on the Southside and got there 15 minutes early.
But Futch said as the approached, the bus was already there and took off as his son ran to catch it.
“They let the other kids on the bus, shut the door and drove off with Mr. Theo here running after them,” said Futch.
“It’s just rude. I didn’t like it,” said Theodore.
Futch argued the situation could have quickly turned into a medical emergency for his son, who has Type I Diabetes and needs medicine every three hours.
Futch said his son is not allowed to carry the medicine himself at school.
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By the time the two made it back to the extended stay where they’re currently living, Futch said Theodore’s blood sugar had risen above 300.
“Luckily, I was here to make sure to get him back and everything. But if I hadn’t have been here he would have been stuck outside in the heat until 10 a.m. when they open up the front desk here,” said Futch. ”And then he could have got his shot, but by then it would have been over 400.”
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When Futch contacted his son’s school, Southside Middle, he said he was told students need to arrive at their bus stops 30 minutes early, but district policy only recommends arriving 10 minutes early.
When asked why the bus would take off as Theodore was walking up, the district noted bus drivers must check all mirrors before moving the vehicle.
“While it may appear that a driver looked directly at a student, factors such as sight lines, positioning, and visibility can affect what is visible from the driver’s seat,” said a district spokesperson in an emailed statement.
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The district said it and Durham School Services is working to gather facts as it reviews the incident.
Durham School Services also sent a statement saying the company understands Futch’s concerns and is currently looking into the situation.
“Our team has been committed to preparing for this first week of school and we will continue to make improvements as we hear of any bus stop issues,” said a Durham spokesperson in the statement. “The safety and well-being of our students are important to us, and we are taking this situation seriously.”
Futch said he just wants to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“A missing-the-bus can quickly escalate into a life-threatening situation for him,” said Futch.
The family told us they’re looking into possible enrolling Theodore in virtual school, but even that option is not ideal, as their son would have to be fully responsible for his own medical needs while his parents are at work during the school day.
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