Tampabay.com

DECEMBER 19, 2011

Seffner school aide accused of neglecting 3-year-old special needs girl

SEFFNER — A 61-year-old school aide was arrested Monday after leaving a 3-year-old girl with special needs unattended on a school bus for five hours, deputies said.

Sarah Thomas, 61, of Riverview been charged with child neglect.

Thomas, a Hillsborough County School District aide, was working as a caregiver for students on a school bus Friday, when the 3-year-old girl boarded the bus in Seffner about 7:20 a.m., deputies said.

The toddler was supposed to get off the bus at Lopez Elementary School, 200 N Kingsway Road, but was found five hours later still sitting in the bus, deputies said.

Read the full story here.

Join the discussion: Click to view comments, add yours
Loading...

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going in on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.

Meet the team

Advertisement

Advertisement

Video

THE TEAM

Rebecca Catalanello covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail her: rcatalanello@tampabay.com.

Cara Fitzpatrick covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail her: cfitzpatrick@tampabay.com.

Tony Marrero covers Hernando County schools. E-mail him: tmarrero@tampabay.com.

Marlene Sokol covers Hillsborough County schools. E-mail her: sokol@tampabay.com.

Jeffrey S. Solochek covers Pasco County schools. E-mail him: jsolochek@tampabay.com.

Kim Wilmath covers the University of South Florida. E-mail her: kwilmath@tampabay.com.

Registration FAQ

Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site.