'There were a lot of tears': Finn Katona remembered as classes resume at Hamilton School District after tragic accident

SUSSEX, Wis. (CBS 58) — School is back in session in Sussex after the death of a 5-year-old boy.

Finn Katona was hit by a school bus last week at Silver Spring Intermediate School.

In an obituary written by his family, Finn was described as "a lively spark who brought boundless joy and warmth to our family."

They wrote he enjoyed family vacations, playgrounds, the zoo, and hikes.

And he loved to build and play. "Finn’s imagination was all he needed for a great day," the obituary read.

The accident happened as students were transferring to a different bus that would take them to Willow Springs Learning Center.

Part of that process has now changed.

Monday, Jan. 6, was the first day 4K students were brought directly to Willow Springs Learning Center in the morning, without transferring onto a second bus at Silver Spring Intermediate.

"Any child in that situation, your heart just stops," said Courtney Myhre, a mom of four students in the Hamilton School District.

She says Thursday's death of a 5-year-old has been devastating.

"I was at one of the schools earlier, and I can say there were a lot of a tears - a lot of tears from the staff," Myhre said.

Three of Myhre's kids did bus transfers to and from Willow Springs in the past.

She says the district has a "Bus Buddy" program where Silver Spring Intermediate students help walk 4K students onto their buses.

"The 5th and 6th grade students that are assisting these 4K students, it's really just to give them a hand to hold and make them feel comfortable," Myhre said. "There's several staff members supervising the process."

Monday morning, there was a long line of school buses dropping off students at Willow Springs.

Once at school, teachers addressed Finn's death in class.

Each teacher read a message to their students to start the day that said:

"Good morning, everyone. I want to share some very sad news with you today. One of our 4K students was involved in a tragic accident and died Thursday morning. This is a heartbreaking loss for our school community and why we did not have school on Friday.

It’s okay to feel sad, confused, or have big feelings about this. If you want to talk about how you’re feeling, you can always tell me. There are other grown-ups here, like counselors, who are ready to listen and help too.

Let’s all try to be extra kind to each other today and remember that we are all here to take care of one another. We are a school family, and being together helps us feel stronger."

Myhre tells us the traffic congestion is one reason the district did bus transfers in the first place.

"The Willow Springs program is in a very small building with a very small parking lot," she explained. "Trying to get 30 buses through that parking lot and through that process was a safety concern and also a time concern."

The school district sent a letter to parents saying they would inform students about Katona's death, and the district is offering resources and counseling services for families and faculty.

"My hope is that this community, rather than trying to assign blame, can come together and support this family, and the staff and the students that witnessed this tragedy," Myhre said.

The school district tells us the accident is still an active investigation.

The Waukesha County Sheriff's Office confirmed Monday the bus driver who hit Finn "was not issued any citations and was not taken into custody".

Finn's family has planned a celebration of life for Saturday, Jan. 11, starting at 10 a.m. at Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home in Menomonee Falls. A funeral service will follow at 1 p.m.