MATTESON, Illinois. – A mix-up on the first day of school left a south suburban mother with several anxious hours after she said her four-year-old son was put on the wrong school bus and taken to the wrong neighborhood in Matteson.

Nicholas Gladney, a preschooler at Woodgate Elementary School, had an exciting first day of preschool before his drive home took an unexpected turn.

“The teacher put me on the wrong bus and I didn’t like that. I was scared,” Nicholas said. “They dropped me off at a different place.”

According to his mother, Nicholas did not come home as expected and his concern grew with each passing hour.

“It got scary towards the end of the day when I realized time was passing and my son wasn’t home,” said Precious Glory.

After several calls to the school and the bus company, Glory learned that Nicholas had been put on the wrong route and had been on the bus for at least two hours.

“They didn’t even know why he was on that particular bus because it wasn’t part of their route,” she explained.

Dr. Tiffany Brunson, superintendent of District 159, confirmed the confusion, saying it was the first day of school and 1,700 students had to be transported on two bus routes. Brunson said the district is taking the matter seriously and is in contact with Glory to ensure something like this does not happen again.

Although Nicholas was eventually brought home safely, the situation has left Glory devastated. She now plans to drive her son to and from school until she can find a more reliable solution.

FOX 32 reached out to American School Bus Company for comment but did not receive a response.