Paulding elementary student dies while on field trip, district says
“Pray.”
That was the single word on a marquee sign outside McGarity Elementary School in Paulding County on Thursday, a day after a student died on a field trip.
As parents drove onto campus to pick up students, school leaders asked for privacy and resource officers were available to keep outsiders away as the community mourned.
What should have been a fun outing turned tragic Wednesday, according to investigators. But questions remained about how a child managed to wander off, seemingly unnoticed until it was too late.
During the trip to a farm in neighboring Polk County, the 6-year-old girl went missing and was then found unresponsive in a pool on the property, officials confirmed. The students were visiting Carlton Farms in Rockmart when a staff member noticed around noon that one of the kids was unaccounted for, Polk government spokesperson Olivia Smith said. The girl was later found in a pool beside a residence, Smith said.
Approximately 15 minutes later, Polk police said they arrived at the farm and found the child not breathing and bystanders already performing lifesaving measures.
The girl was taken to Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center in Rome, where she died. Polk Coroner Norman Smith said the family asked that the child’s name not be released to the public.
The GBI said Thursday its medical examiner’s office would conduct the autopsy.
The Paulding school district declined to answer questions from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about how many supervisors were on the trip and how long the student was missing before her absence was noticed.
Carlton Farms is a popular attraction located on Cartersville Highway next door to Rockmart High School. According to its website, the farm advertises spring and fall school field trips. It offers a narrated hayride tour, cow feeding, a baby animal petting barn and a walk through a corn maze.
The farm was closed Thursday, Channel 2 Action News reported. The AJC attempted to contact the farm’s owners but calls went unanswered.
McGarity principal Jamesa Hodge informed her school community of the tragedy in a letter Wednesday.
“It is with profound sadness that I share that one of our students has passed away while on a class field trip to Carlton Farms in Rockmart,” Hodge wrote. “Our hearts are with the student’s family and loved ones. As our school community processes this tragedy, we will offer counseling and bereavement support services to all students and staff.”
State Sen. Jason Anavitarte, whose district includes both Paulding and Polk counties, offered his condolences late Wednesday.
“Praying for all those involved, from the students and families at McGarity to the citizens and public safety community in Polk County that responded,” Anavitarte said in an online post. “May God bring comfort to many tonight.”
The principal encouraged parents to reach out to counselors with any concerns while children cope with the death of a classmate.
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