A Valley Lines bus driver was fired after an incident in which an elementary student was left unattended, Butler School District Superintendent Brian White said.

On Friday, a bus full of students arrived at Center Township Elementary School, but one student did not exit the bus to go into the school, White said.

The driver then left the property, with the student still aboard, and discovered the student a short time later. The driver returned the student to the school and self-reported the incident to both the district and Valley Lines, the bus contractor, White said.

The student was OK and the family was notified about the incident, he said.

School bus safety procedures, which follow guidelines from the state Department of Transportation, state that the driver must check the entire bus for any students or items that may have been left behind, before leaving a school or drop-off location, he said.

The driver, who was not identified by officials, will no longer be permitted to drive Butler students and was terminated by Valley Lines.

“We obviously were concerned. We want to know that all bus drivers are following proper procedures,” White said.