LITTLE BOY FALLS ASLEEP AT SCHOOL, MISSING BUS HOME

Daily Mail

 

Confused little boy wakes up at his school to realize he was the only one there

By JAMES CIRRONE, US NEWS REPORTER

Published: 18:31 EST, 22 January 2026 | Updated: 18:45 EST, 22 January 2026

 

A Georgia second-grader who fell asleep at the end of class woke up confused and all alone after missing his bus.

 

Oliver Stillwell, 7, a student at Suder Elementary School in Jonesboro, a suburb south of Atlanta, said his teacher told him and his classmates to rest their heads on their desks before dismissal.

 

In the process, he fell asleep. Eventually, he woke up to find that all the buses had already left the school.

 

'I don’t know why they didn’t wake me up. My teacher could have woken me up,' Oliver told WSB-TV.

 

So, Oliver began the trek back to his house, which is about 20 to 25 minutes away from the school on foot.

 

During his walk home, he flagged down a police officer and asked for help. The officer dropped what he was doing and took the boy home in his cruiser.

 

When Oliver's mother, Lindsey Barrett, was filled in on the situation by her son and the cop, she was furious.

 

'I was like, why is he walking on Lake Jodeco Road?' Barrett said.

 

Barrett went to the school to complain and was told by the administration that her son was sent to a different classroom than usual ahead of dismissal.

 

She said that the teacher who was supposed watching Oliver told her that she hadn't seen him that day.

 

Barrett said her child should not have been left in class while everyone left, adding that the bus driver should have realized he wasn't there either.

 

'It’s taken everything for me to stay calm. And all I get is, "I’m sorry,"' she said of her communications with the school.

 

Clayton County Schools released the following statement about the incident.

 

'District leaders are aware of a matter involving a student enrolled at Suder Elementary school. The safety and well-being of all students remain the district’s top priority. The matter is currently under investigation to address and determine the appropriate action,' the statement said.