Gilbert Spectrum Elementary School leaves kindergartner on his own

GILBERT, AZ - A Gilbert mother is furious at her 5-year-old son’s elementary school for dropping him off at a bus stop and leaving him alone.

Spectrum Elementary kindergartner Jonathan Watkins was supposed to stay after school for the daycare program, but a miscommunication between the program and the teacher sent Jonathan home on a bus.

No one was waiting at the bus stop, or at home to pick up little Jonathan who was left on his own.

Scared, confused, and crying, Jonathan did something he's never had to do before: walk more than a quarter-mile alone to find his way home.     

Jonathan’s mother, Hannah McCoy is furious thinking about what could've happened to her son.

The principal told me this would never happen again with Jonathan. She keeps talking about Jonathan, but I think it needs to go further than that. So it doesn't happen to another student, and something more drastic happens," she said.

Gilbert Public Schools said sending Jonathan home was a "miscommunication." They added in a statement to ABC15: "The safety of our students is of the utmost importance."

Spectrum Elementary School told ABC15 they will work with Hannah to prevent any future mix-ups.