DeKalb Schools: Special-needs student allowed to wander away twice

DeKalb County School District officials are working figure out how a 5-year-old special needs student wandered away from school twice in the still young school year.

District officials said Tuesday they were meeting with the boy’s parents to discuss corrective actions after the second incident where the boy wandered away from Columbia Elementary School Monday.

Superintendent Steve Green said changes will come immediately to avoid a third such incident.

“An instance like this, when a particularly vulnerable student receives less than effective oversight, is completely unacceptable,” he said in a statement, adding that the district “will make immediate and wholesale changes to the oversight of this student to ensure the appropriate care is being rendered.”

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Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com