September 3, 2026 – Kewaskum, Wi – Just two days into the new school year and the Kewaskum School District has issued a statement after a child was found left “unattended on a bus.”
Dear Kewaskum School District Families,
We are writing to inform you of a transportation incident that occurred last evening involving one of our elementary students.
Following the completion of a bus route, a 4-year-old student was left unattended on a school bus. Once the situation was identified, law enforcement was contacted and responded.
The student was located at the bus terminal and reunited with their family. The student was not injured, and it was determined that medical attention was not necessary. Law enforcement is still investigating the incident.
The safety of our students is our highest priority, and we take incidents such as this very seriously.
Johnson Bus has established policies and procedures that require buses to be checked at the completion of routes to ensure that no students remain on board.
We are working closely with Johnson Bus to review what occurred and to reinforce the importance of consistently following these procedures.
As an additional safety measure, Johnson Bus will be retraining its staff on student safety protocols and end-of-route bus inspection procedures, and they will be doing a thorough check of all safety equipment.
We understand that an incident like this may be concerning to families. The District will continue working with Johnson Bus to ensure appropriate procedures are followed, and that student safety remains at the forefront of transportation operations.
We want to thank our law enforcement partners for their quick response. Thank you for your continued trust and partnership.
Dr. Mark Bazata
District Administrator
Kewaskum School District
Calls have been placed to the district regarding a timeline on when the child was first reported missing and when the child was found on the bus.
Below is a statement from Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis
Date: September 3, 2026
Authority: Sheriff Martin R. Schulteis
Subject: Sheriff’s Office Investigates School Bus Incident Involving 4-Year-Old Child
TOWN OF KEWASKUM, WI – The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incident involving a Johnson School Bus driver after a 4-year-old child was left unattended on a school bus following the completion of the child’s route on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
At approximately 5:47 p.m., the Kewaskum Police Department received a call from the child’s mother, who resides in the Town of Kewaskum, after the child did not arrive home. A Kewaskum Police officer responded to the Johnson School Bus Service facility, located just outside the Village of Kewaskum, and located the unoccupied bus assigned to the child’s route in the facility’s outdoor parking lot.
While checking the facility grounds, the officer observed the four-way emergency flashers were
activated on a different school bus parked outside. The officer investigated and located the child inside the closed bus at approximately 6:18 p.m. The child was visibly hot and partially clothed.
Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene and determined that the
original bus had been parked at approximately 5:30 p.m. Of particular concern to investigators
were the temperatures inside the buses. Due to the outdoor conditions and the buses being closed and unoccupied, internal temperatures inside the buses were in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Deputies met with representatives of Johnson School Bus Service who fully cooperated with the investigation. The company has a standard safety protocol requiring buses to be checked at the completion of each route. Kewaskum School District leadership also responded to the scene to conduct an internal assessment of the incident.
As part of the investigation, deputies also learned that the bus driver had previously reported a malfunction involving the bus’s electronic child reminder alarm system. The Child Check-Mate System is designed to audibly alert the driver after the bus is turned off to remind the driver to check the bus for any remaining students on board.
The system requires the driver to walk to the rear of the bus and manually disengage the system and provides an additional opportunity to check the entire bus for children. Under Wisconsin Trans 300.81(10) a school bus may be equipped with a passenger advisory system, but it is not a WISDOT mandated system that would have taken the bus out of service.
Johnson Bus Service had ordered replacement parts for the alarm prior to this incident.
During the investigation, the driver admitted he did not conduct a manual check of the bus after completing the route, despite the malfunctioning alarm system.
The investigation indicates that the child likely fell asleep during the bus route and was
unintentionally left on the bus.
Investigators have found no evidence that the driver intentionally left the child on the bus or acted with the intent to harm the child.
Due to the child’s age, the length of time the child remained unsupervised, the extreme
temperatures inside the bus, and the circumstances surrounding the driver’s failure to check the bus with the known alarm issue, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office will refer a child neglect charge to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office for review.
The driver, a 69-year-old male with nearly five years of experience as a school bus driver with
Johnson Bus Service, was not taken into custody.
The child was not injured, and the parents declined emergency medical services.
Under Wisconsin Statute § 948.21(2), child neglect may constitute a felony when the natural and probable consequences of the violation would be harm to the child, and the child is under six years old. The Washington County District Attorney’s Office will determine whether criminal charges will be pursued.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Kewaskum School District and Johnson School Bus Service recognize the seriousness of this incident and the concern it may cause parents and members of the community. School bus safety depends on drivers following established
procedures, including physically checking the entire bus at the completion
Initially on Tuesday, September 2, 2026, there was a reported incident regarding a child who could not be located after school.
Neighbors confirm there was law enforcement including Kewaskum Police, State Patrol, and the Washington County Sheriff on scene Tuesday afternoon and into the evening at the Johnson Bus depot, 3618 Wi-28, in Kewaskum.
Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis said a statement will be issued later today. The Sheriff confirmed he is working with the school district.
Calls have been placed to the school district. A response will be posted when more details are available.
The manager at Johnson Bus declined comment.
This is a working story, and more information will be posted when details are available.
