STAFFORD, Texas – A Stafford mother was shocked to hear her 8-year-old son was missing when she went to pick up her kids from Stafford Elementary School on Wednesday.
“I had gotten all of my other kids, and my son was nowhere to be found. The teacher told me we were unable to find him, we don't know where he is at,” she said.
Thirty minutes went by, and there were still no signs of the woman's son. The woman said the school never called police. Instead, she and her family did.
The mother said they then waited for the officer to arrive and waited again to view the surveillance camera footage.
“The person didn't know how to work the cameras. The principal had to call an (information technology) guy, which was not on campus, so we had to wait another five to 10 minutes for him to arrive. At that point, I’m worrying because I’m going to become that mom asking people to help me to bring my son back home,” the mother said.
The cameras caught a glimpse of the woman's son.
“The camera showed my son opening the door and just walking out,” the mother said.
The woman said her son walked out the school for a brief moment and couldn't get back in.
“He tried to get back in school, but the doors were locked. There were no teachers around him, so he got nervous. Got scared,” she said.
The woman said her son walked across the street into a neighborhood looking for an adult to help him. He was later found by a family member.
The Stafford Municipal School District said the child was supposed to be in the care of a substitute teacher, and in response to our request for a comment, they released the following statement:
"The Stafford Municipal School District is committed to the safety of its students. On Wednesday, a student -– while under the supervision of a substitute teacher –- walked away from campus at the end of the school day. He was safely located nearby. The District has terminated its contract with the substitute teacher. In addition, Stafford MSD will strengthen its Substitute Teacher training and criteria to ensure that all substitute teachers understand the importance of student safety."