5-year-old found safe 12 minutes after walking out of Pierce Elementary School Monday

CEDAR RAPIDS — A 5-year-old who walked out of Pierce Elementary School Monday was confirmed by school staff to be safe at home 12 minutes after she went missing.

In an email to Cedar Rapids school district families Thursday evening, Superintendent Tawana Grover relayed the “prompt measures” taken after the student walked out of class on the second day of school.

Grover said the district conducted a thorough investigation following the incident to establish a detailed timeline of events and confirm the school correctly implemented its established safety protocols.

“When the student was missing for 12 minutes, we recognize that even one minute is too long,” Grover said in her email to families.

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The student left her classroom after lunch, which prompted the teacher to immediately notify the office via intercom, the investigation found.

Four staff members, including the principal, immediately began searching the school building and playground. When the student could not be located after about four minutes, the principal reviewed footage from the building’s security cameras, and found that the student exited the building through the front door, Grover said.

The principal instructed office staff to call the parents and police while she searched outside the school building. Within 12 minutes of the student leaving the building, the school office received confirmation that the student was safe at home, Grover said.

The incident was brought to the attention of the Cedar Rapids school board Monday during public comment by the girl’s father, John Thompson, who is a candidate for Iowa House District 80.

Grover said Pierce Elementary School leaders were able to work with the family to create a safety plan for the student moving forward.

Grover said the district is increasing staff training and working closely with local law enforcement to ensure they are doing “everything possible” to protect students.

“We generally do not provide specific information regarding building safety measures. This is to protect against any efforts to circumvent those measures. We can share that we continuously review and enhance our safety procedures to prevent such incidents from happening,” Grover said.

Grover asked families to remind their children that they should not leave a classroom without a teacher’s approval and that they must check in at the office before leaving school grounds during the day.

“We kindly ask for your help in reinforcing these safety guidelines at home and encouraging your children to follow them,” Grover said.

“We understand the seriousness of this incident and deeply regret the distress and concern it has caused within our CRCSD community. We are committed to regaining your trust and ensuring the safety of all our students.”

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com