GRAY, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- It's hard for any parent to send a kid off to kindergarten, but for one Gray family it's become a question of safety.

Mother Katie Capponi is usually home when her five-year-old Abigail gets off the school bus.

On Thursday, Capponi had to help perform a car seat inspection. She followed MSAD 15 protocol, putting in a drop-off change request in writing.

MSAD 15 Superintendent Bruce Beasley said the school received Capponi's note, asking for Abigail to be dropped off at her daycare instead of her home.

Capponi said she even reminded the bus driver, who was a substitute driver, about the drop-off change that morning.

For some reason, though, the driver still dropped Abby off at home.

The five-year-old was locked out and alone.

She curled up in a ball on her porch, and cried.

"That's the worst part about it," said Capponi, "knowing that my baby girl was culred up on the porch, crying."

Capponi said her daycare provider sent her husband to the Capponi's home to look for Abby as soon as they realized she was missing.

"Luckily she was smart and didn't move," said Capponi.

Now, Capponi wants answers from the school district.

"We're certainly disappointed," said Superintendent Beasley.

"I immediately started thinking about how can we make sure that peopel feel comfortable, and that their kids are safe when they are transported by our buses," he said.

Beasley said the investigation is on-going.

"It doesn't appear that this case was a procedural issue," he said. "It was more of a human error issue."

The substitute bus driver has been placed on leave as the school district investigates the matter.

NEWS CENTER