UPDATE: 13 Action News is getting answers after a special needs child walked out of school unnoticed on Monday.
Clark County School District Trustee Kevin Child said student safety is his number one priority. Within minutes after our crew contacted him, Trustee Child made himself available for an on-camera interview.
He explained all of the safety procedures in place at the school. Regardless, he said it is difficult to fully prevent incidents like this.
"If a kid wants to get out," he said, "they're going to get out."
Trustee Child met with the principal of the school. He said he believes all of the proper procedures and protocols were followed in this case.
He's asking all parents to speak with their children about the danger of leaving school property.
For over 24 hours, 13 Action News contacted the school district for a full explanation surrounding this incident.
The Clark County School District released an additional statement on the incident involving 8-year-old Christopher Jaimes.
"As students were returning back to their classroom from lunch, two students exited the school through the side gate.
There is no video footage of the students leaving campus. Administrators and staff followed appropriate protocol by immediately searching inside the school and in the nearby neighborhood. When the students were not immediately located the school was placed on lockdown. They did this first to ensure all areas were searched before contacting CCSD Police and parents.
The school will continue to provide instruction and communication to students about safety and not leaving school property. The school principal has been in contact with the student’s mother and additional support is being provided.
CCSD cannot disclose additional details and information about the situation, as this would be a violation of privacy for parents and the students involved.”
ORIGINAL STORY
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- 13 Action News is digging deeper after a valley mom said her special needs child walked out of Rex Bell Elementary School unnoticed Monday afternoon.
"They could have been kidnapped," said mom Anjelica Jaimes.
Jaimes said her 8-year-old son Christopher, along with another child, were missing for several hours. She's concerned the students were able to walk off school property. Additionally, Jaimes said she doesn't believe protocol was followed once teachers made the discovery.
We're told the children walked off campus around 12:15 in the afternoon. Jaimes said school officials told her they realized the kids were gone about 30 minutes later.
"They didn't even call school police until 1:38 p.m.," she said.
13 Action News reached out to the Clark County School District to get answers. They provided us the following statement:
"The administration and staff at Rex Bell Elementary followed appropriate procedure by calling CCSD Police and contacting parents, when they learned two students did not return to their classroom after lunch.
Administrators and staff began immediately began searching inside the school and in the nearby neighborhood. Metro police was also engaged in the search.
The school principal has been in contact with the student's mother and additional support is being provided.
The school provides instruction and communication to students about safety, with reminders that they are not to leave campus at any time."
CCSD's Public Information Specialist Allison Cordova did not explain how the children were able to walk off campus. Additionally, Cordova did not provide 13 Action News a timeline of the events.
Jaimes said she cannot rest easy until security changes are made.
"You can get out of any gate," she said. "I'm terrified they're going to lose him again."
