PHOENIX — A 6-year-old boy is safe after being found alone over a mile away from his elementary school.
"I should never have to worry about my son not coming home," Tanisha Swanson said.
That worry crossed Swanson's mind last Friday when her son didn't leave school on his bus, but instead, managed to slip away without anyone noticing.
“He slipped away and took a scooter in the courtyard," Swanson said.
The first grader's bus driver spotted the boy near 79th Avenue and Baseline Road, nearly two miles from Desert Meadows School in Laveen.
The bus driver picked him up and called his mom.
“My immediate response was just to grab him and hold him and then the tears started coming down my face and the bus driver’s like, 'It’s okay you can cry. It’s deserved.'”
Swanson told 12News she was then shocked to learn her son lost recess privileges because of the incident when he returned to school on Monday.
“If you guys are going to punish my son then you need to also hold accountable the teachers that were supposed to be watching him," Swanson said.
Swanson is demanding the district improve campus security at its schools so something like this doesn't happen again.
“Nothing happened to my kid, by luck, by the grace of God, but who’s to say that the next kid won’t be so lucky," Swanson said.
Laveen Elementary School District sent 12News a statement about the incident.
"We are working with a family regarding a situation in which a first-grade student did not board their school bus at dismissal and instead headed home. The student was discovered by the bus driver, brought on board the bus, and the parents were contacted. We have been in constant communication with the parent since this incident occurred and have addressed this issue with the staff members involved. We will continue to work with the staff and the student's family to ensure the child reports to the correct bus in the future. A student would not receive discipline for this type of situation."
Swanson said she withdrew her son from Desert Meadows School on Monday.
“It’s not acceptable how this whole situation is being handled. To me, it’s unprofessional. I feel like they’re disregarding our concerns as parents and I feel like they’re not putting our kids’ safety first," Swanson said.
Throughout this scary situation, Swanson said she is thankful for the bus driver who was observant enough to spot her son and bring him home safely.
“She ultimately like saved my son’s life," Swanson said. “She’s definitely a hero in my book.”
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