It's a situation a parent never wants to happen to their child. It’'s something school districts attempt to avoid at all costs.
A few minutes before 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, Rachelle Jennings called North Nodaway Elementary School in Pickering to ask them to keep her 6-year-old son at school –– she would pick him up on her way home from work.
Assuming everything was okay, Jennings stopped by the baby-sitter's house to pick up her 1-year-old son before heading home for the evening.
As she drove toward her home, Jennings received a number of phone calls from friends who had heard over the scanner that a 6-year-old boy had been left alone at her address. She panicked as she continued her trip.
Earlier, back at the school, the situation was chaotic, as it is most days when children are preparing to leave school.
A note was drafted to the child's first grade teacher, asking her to be sure he didn't get on the bus –– that his mother was coming to get him. The teacher did not read the note and the child got on the bus –– unaware that his mother had called the school and was coming to pick him up.
As the bus approached his rural Pickering home, the young boy noticed something was different. There were no vehicles in the driveway and the door, which is generally open when he gets off the bus, was closed. He told the bus driver nobody was home.
When the boy reached the front door, the house was unlocked. As he went in the house, he realized nobody was home –– but the bus was already gone by the time he discovered he was alone.
This young boy has been taught to telephone for help if he feels like something's wrong, so he dialed 911. Shortly after his call, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Nodaway County Sheriff Department were dispatched to the home.
Meanwhile, back at the school, elementary school secretary Janet Drummond discovered there had been a mistake and a child was home alone. She immediately drove to the family home.
Drummond, Jennings and the law enforcement officials all arrived at the home at the same time.
The child was safe. Everything turned out okay –– this time.
But questions arise when a situation like this occurs.
"What if it had been 20 degrees below zero outside and the house was locked," Jennings said. "I want my son to feel safe. I want there to be plans so that we know he's okay. Luckily, the door was unlocked and someone was listening to the scanner. I want parents to be aware that a situation like this could happen."
