AUBURN — A third-grader was removed from a school bus on Newbury Street Wednesday afternoon, but police and school officials said the incident probably wasn’t as ugly as it appeared at first glance.

The boy, a Walton School student, was removed after he went “out of control” during a disagreement with other kids, according to School Superintendent Katy Grondin. The parents of other kids were notified about the incident.

Some who witnessed the brief drama believed that several police officers were needed to bring the matter under control.

Not so, Grondin said. It was mostly a matter of bad timing.

“There were already police cars on the road for another incident,” she said.

Police said the officers manning two of the cruisers were not involved in the school bus matter. They were in the area on other business.

A pair of school resource officers did arrive at the scene, police said, after the bus driver called to report that a child was out of control. The disruption involved third-graders, Grondin said, who are 8 and 9 years old.

“The kids were upset, obviously,” Grondin said.

The boy at the center of the skirmish “had trouble de-escalating,” Grondin said and was removed from the bus to separate him from the others.

Parents were called to pick up their children, and the situation was explained to them. Grondin said school officials will take a look at the bus schedule and make changes where necessary.

“We’re looking at placement,” she said, “and which kids should be on which bus.”

Nobody was seriously hurt. Grondin credit the bus driver for taking quick action and the school resource officers for their fast response.

“Everybody handled the situation very professionally,” she said.