Kindergartner dies in bus crash on first day back at school, Wisconsin officials say

A kindergarten student was struck and killed by a bus outside of a Wisconsin school, according to local officials.

The incident took place at Silver Spring Intermediate School on Thursday, Jan. 2, the first day classes were in session since Dec. 20, according to Hamilton School District Superintendent Paul Mielke.

The 4K student, a term for a 4-year-old kindergartner, was set to be shuttled to Willow Springs Learning Center when the child was fatally struck by a school bus, the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department said on Facebook.

Sheriff’s officials said other students were aboard the bus when the crash occurred. The bus driver is cooperating during the sheriff’s investigation.

Mielke referred to the death as a “tragic incident” and offered his “deepest condolences” to the victim’s family.

“Thank you for your support at this difficult time,” the superintendent said in a letter to families. “We will make every effort to help your child as needed.”

The student has not been publicly identified as of Thursday afternoon.

Silver Spring Intermediate School is in Sussex, about a 20-mile drive northwest from Milwaukee.

This story was originally published January 2, 2025 at 2:59 PM with the headline "Kindergartner dies in bus crash on first day back at school, Wisconsin officials say."