Siblings dropped at wrong bus stop after boarding incorrect bus in Liberty County

by Julian Agnew

HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) - Two siblings from Frank Long Elementary School were dropped off at the wrong bus stop Friday after boarding the incorrect school bus, according to the Liberty County School System.

The district says the incident happened on August 7, 2026. The students boarded the wrong bus — driven by a substitute driver — and departed the school at approximately 2:37 p.m. They later exited at a stop that was not their assigned destination.

As a precaution, the students’ bookbags had been tagged with transportation information, but the safeguard was not enough to prevent the mix-up.

After the family notified the district that the children had not arrived home, school officials and local law enforcement immediately responded and began canvassing the area where the students were believed to have gotten off the bus.

The students were located at approximately 3:58 p.m. — about an hour and 20 minutes after leaving school. Law enforcement transported them back to Frank Long Elementary School, where they were safely reunited with their guardian.

What the district is saying

In a statement released Saturday, the Liberty County School System said student safety is its “highest priority.”

“The safety of every student is our highest priority. We are deeply concerned about this occurrence and are carefully reviewing our transportation and dismissal procedures, with particular attention to safeguards for our youngest students. We care about our students and are committed to identifying additional measures to help prevent a situation like this from occurring in the future.”

District officials say they have reached out to the students’ guardians to check on the children and offer continued support.

What happens next

The Liberty County School System says it is conducting a thorough review of the incident. The district says it will use its findings to strengthen procedures related to: