'I was scared': 4-year-old suburban boy was put on wrong school bus, mom claims

MATTESON, Ill. - A mix-up on the first day of school turned into an anxious few hours for a south suburban mother after she claims her 4-year-old son was placed on the wrong school bus and taken to the wrong Matteson neighborhood.

Nicholas Gladney, a preschooler at Woodgate Elementary School, had an exciting first day of pre-K before his ride home took an unexpected turn.

"The teacher put me on the wrong bus and I didn’t like that. I was scared," Nicholas said. "They dropped me off at a different place."

According to his mother, Nicholas didn’t arrive home as expected and concern mounted as the hours passed.

"It got scary toward the end of the day when I noticed that time was rolling by and my son wasn’t home," Precious Glory said.

After multiple calls to the school and the bus company, Glory learned that Nicholas had been placed on the wrong route and had been riding the bus for at least two hours.

"They didn’t even know why he was on that particular bus because it wasn’t a part of their route," she explained.

District 159 Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Brunson acknowledged the confusion, saying it was the first day of school and 1,700 students had to be transported on two bus routes. Brunson said the district is taking the matter seriously and has been in communication with Glory to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

While Nicholas was eventually brought home safely, the situation left Glory shaken. She now plans to drive her son to and from school until she finds a more reliable solution.

FOX 32 reached out to American School Bus Company for comment but did not receive a response.