Severe Safety Concerns at KISD School
Tuesday August 28 – updated Friday 31st11:00 am
Houston, Texas— Katy School District has it’s hands full with angry parents about bus service changes, but wait until you hear how “policy” at one school sent a 4-year-old girl to walk home by herself.
A Schmaltz Elementary parent is demanding to have the schools walking policy changed due to a terrifying event that took place on just the second day of school at Schmaltz Elementary.
“ I was given the wrong location by the staff, to meet my child in order to her up on the second day of school” says the girls mom, “I had no idea that it was policy to walk them to a street corner and tell them to go, I was told to meet her by the schools gym, and when I discovered the error it was too late!”
To make matters worse, the parent says she was left looking for her daughter alone, even though the teacher had a radio to call the office; no assistance was given to her by the school staff in this time of crisis, 911 was not called. Luckily, her quick thinking mother ran to her car after learning her daughter was told to walk by herself by the school teacher, and began driving down the road asking other parents if they had seen her daughter. Miraculously, the young girl was found safe by mom just a short time later. She had traveled 7 blocks from where she was left by the teachers, right past a registered sex offenders house as shown by the website FamilyWatchDog.us , and was a short 2 blocks away from the popular and dangerous Clay Rd.
When the parent confronted the school principle to ask how it was acceptable that a 4 year old be left to walk home alone, with out so much as a question by the teacher to verify that she should. The principle replied, “It’s our policy, that if you sign them up as a walker, that they are left to find their way home if a parent is not there to meet them within 10 minutes of the release bell.” However the parent can find no record of this policy in writing on the KISD website or in the parent handbook. There is also no mention of qualifications for walkers, such as age, or distance from school.
Fortunately no harm was done to this girl, but the parent is outraged at the response provided by the principle. “She doesn’t accept any responsibility for a poor system, nor for the miscommunication which caused this incident to start with.” Says the mom. “The current policy places children at risk, there is no separation between a child who must be met by a parent, and one who is allowed to leave on their own. There is no provision for an emergency situation, if the parent cannot get there in the 10-minute time frame. The school is knowingly putting their students at risk on a daily basis.”
She is demanding action to be taken to change the current policy, to address the needs of young students, and the communications and instructions given to parents prior to school starting. The mom also states that the principle has yet to express any sympathy over the situation, or inquire into how it has effected the young student, nor has she offered any school services such as counseling to the girl or the family.
Currently the mom is taking her daughter out of school prior to dismissal each day, in hopes that she can build her daughters confidence and trust in her teachers back with some positive experiences.
