JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The mother of a child at Highlands Elementary School has a message to other parents after her son left school without teachers realizing it.
"I just want to make sure it's not happening again anywhere else, in any other school, to any other child," she said.
The woman, who does not want her name used in order to protect her son, said her 6-year-old stayed after school Wednesday for Movie Day. When it was over, the boy walked away with a friend before his ride arrived to pick him up.
It was an early release day, so the school showed a movie from 2 to 4 p.m.
"I was informed to have someone pick him up at 4 o'clock, and his ride was there at 3:40," the mother said. "Maybe five or 10 minutes after that, he shows up at the house and I asked him, 'How did you get home?' He said, 'I walked.'"
She lives about 1 mile from the school.
The woman said her son has ADHD and takes medication. She's thankful that her son made it home safe because anything could've happened to him. Her biggest concern is that he crossed Dunn Avenue, a busy, four-lane road, without adult supervision.
"He walked off campus and they were not even aware that he was gone until his ride actually was looking for him," she said. "Make sure that your child's school is following every precaution they can, taking every precaution they can, to make sure this doesn't happen to your child."
Asked for comment, Duval County Public Schools spokeswoman Laureen Ricks released this statement:
Highlands Elementary School administration is aware that a student, who normally is a car rider, walked home with other students after attending a special afterschool event on Wednesday. Once informed by the parent’s designee, school administrators learned the student was at home with the parent. As a result, school leadership conducted an investigation, and has since modified its dismissal procedures for special afterschool activities. Beginning on Wednesday, school leadership maintained communication throughout the entire process with the parent, and also followed-up on Thursday as promised regarding improved afterschool dismissal procedures."