Plenty of special needs kids go to summer school or Extended School Year (ESY).

They make up a decent percentage of kids going in summer.

If the kid WAS special needs, then that might explain the special scrutiny.

Special needs kids have special protocols that are supposed to be followed. Only being released to an adult at their registered stop is the normal protocol. Same with kindergarten and very young kids. And they're supposed to keep track of the special needs kids, and do headcounts after each stop, and that type of thing, as well.

If they try to get off the bus at the wrong stop, the bus driver is supposed to try to verbally get them back or talk them out of leaving. Physically blocking them or pulling them back is a huge no no. If they get off on the wrong stop or an adult isn't at the stop to pick them up, they're supposed to stay stopped there, try to keep visual sight of the kid from the bus, and immediately radio into dispatch for instructions.

If the bus driver loses sight of the kid or their time window passes (usually they will wait for ~10 minutes at a stop if there's an emergency, if they still have kids on board. They might stay longer if no other kids on board), dispatch will call local police who will respond, and take it from there.

Source: I'm a parent of a special needs child in Northern Virginia who rides the bus.

NOVA doesn't play when it comes to this sort of thing, so for your BIL's sake, I really hope it wasn't a special needs kid or a 5/6 year old that's involved.

Plenty of special needs kids go to summer school or Extended School Year (ESY) . They make up a decent percentage of kids going in summer.

If the kid WAS special needs, then that might explain the special scrutiny.