Dorchester family of student who’s deaf claims school bus stopped showing up regularly

BOSTON — A Dorchester family claims the school bus for their 9-year-old student, who’s deaf, has consistently not shown up over the last two weeks.

Carol Benjamin, the grandmother of the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing student, told Boston 25 on Wednesday that her bus hasn’t shown up six times over the last two school weeks.

“It’s the best school for her,” she said.

Her granddaughter Erin has been a student at the Charlestown school since she was 3.

The family said they wake up around 4 am so Erin can get dressed, eat, and wait for her bus to show up around 6:30 am.

Benjamin said that around 6 am, they’ll often get a notification that the bus will not be going to their stop that day. Sometimes, she said, there isn’t a notification at all.

“We’re already awake, she has her coat on,” she said. “She’ll literally sit here with her coat on until 9:05.”

The family said if the bus doesn’t show, they’re forced to drive Erin more than an hour to school. Or, she’ll have to wait for a backup bus that arrives around 9 am.

Benjamin added, “Mentally, it’s destroying her because she’s seeing her siblings going to school and she’s sitting there... It breaks me down. It ruins her day. She misses three hours of school, the regimen of coming in, saying good morning, and sitting with her classmates to have breakfast.”

According to the family, the district said the bus delays and cancellations were due to absentees, route changes, and employment issues.

A Boston Public Schools spokesperson told Boston 25 Wednesday:

"We understand that these recent delays have been frustrating, and we apologize for the inconvenience. We expect better and remain committed to improving bus service for students on this route. Our Transportation team has also been proactively communicating with families to ensure they are informed about any service disruptions."

Benjamin said the school bus for Erin came on time Wednesday, and they are continuing to work with the district.

She finished, “I feel the frustration every morning, like should I wake her up? Are we going to cry again this morning? Are we going to have to drive her?... [The district] is getting away with it.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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