DIGHTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A 5-year-old boy with special needs walked away during recess at Dighton Elementary School (DES) last week, and he was found by police walking alone on a busy street a short time later.
Michelle Swartz said her son is in the same special needs program. She told 7NEWS that while she’s relieved the boy is okay, she’s angry this ever happened in the first place.
“The playground isn’t enclosed. And it has also been a concern that there are staffing shortages. So there’s not enough staff for the students to keep them protected,” Swartz said. “You send your child into school expecting them to learn, most of all be safe, and the system failed us.”
In a statement, Dighton-Rehoboth Schools Superintendent Bill Runey said in part, “I addressed this publicly at Tuesday night’s School Committee meeting and provided a safety and security update to DES families and staff. I have also spoken directly with the child’s mother and apologized. She entrusted us with her child, and she deserves answers and meaningful action…We are engaging an outside investigator to conduct an independent investigation into what happened, whether staff followed established expectations, and who needs to be held accountable. The district also self-reported the incident to the Department of Children and Families.”
As the investigation proceeds, Runey said the school is proceeding with several new safety measures to ensure this does not happen again. He said the school will be adding additional playground fencing that is expected to be completed this week.
“It happens when we’re not diligent,” Runey said. “This is a fence that will be high enough to visually be a deterrent, but also make it difficult for a child to escape.”
Runey said the school is also re-establishing supervision protocols and reviewing staff assignments, directing the school’s principal to conduct a more detailed review of services, student needs, and related data and bring about specific recommendations, providing additional lunch and recess monitors, and recruiting more paraprofessionals and Registered Behavior Technicians.
“The community wants to know why did it have to get to this point to be recognized and for something to change? This could’ve ended in tragedy, but thankfully it didn’t,” Swartz said.
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