A Grand Island school bus driver is without a job after school officials say he neglected to follow standard protocol, leaving a 3-year-old girl stranded on a Grand Island Public Schools Bus.

She was on the bus from around 8 A.M. till 11 A.M, according to school officials.

The bus carries 13, three and four-year-old preschoolers.

"Its just negligence..its just the fact that we didn't follow through with what we're supposed to follow through with," said Dr. Steve Joel, Superintendent of Grand Island Public Schools.

Joel said the driver, who was on his normal route - driving from Dodge Elementary to the Early Learning Center - failed to do a walk through of the bus to check for students, before leaving his shift.

But, there was also another adult assistant on the bus who helped escort students off and into class at the Early Learning Center. Joel said between the two, no head count was done while unloading the students.

The school called the girl's parents when it realized she hadn't arrived. No one answered so a message was left but the parents didn't receive the voice mail until around 11 A.M. -- the same time the bus driver returned for his midday rounds and realized his mistake, according to Joel.

According to John Street, Director of Central Nebraska Support Systems, the driver noticed their girl as he was in route back to Dodge Elementary.

"At that time he realized the student was already buckled in and figured out she had been on the bus and contacted us immediately," said Street.

The school is working with the parents, who have hired an attorney, on helping the girl feel comfortable to come back to school and possibly ride a bus again some day.

While the bus driver was terminated the day of the incident, the school district used to teaching others, is learning a lesson itself.

"It's a teaching moment and we will make sure that all of our bus drivers without exceptions adhere to our procedures, and protocols. There aren't any shortcuts when it comes to children's safety."