1st grader walks out of school DURING school hours NO one notices!!!!!

I'm new and not sure if I'm posting this in the right place if I'm not please be nice, I will remove it and put it where it belongs if you tell me.  Thanks 

A little bit about my son before I tell you my story. I feel it is VERY relevant to explain. My son is a bright 7 year old who has loved school since day one.  He has been reading since the age of 4 and has never cried when I dropped him off, not even his first day. He loves his teachers, his friends and looks forward to all of the extra curricular activities especially his favorite gym. He has never wandered off on his own in general, not even in stores, he’s never given me reason to worry and always has been aware of his surroundings.   

Although a bright child I have never taken it for granted and started instilling stranger safety, what to do in an emergency and road safety etc… since he was old enough to grasp it. I continue to remind him and reinforce these traits as often as I can as I feel it’s vital for a child to learn these potentially life saving measures. I felt it necessary to state this as to avoid any questions or concerns that after reading this you may have.   

On the 4th day of school my 1st grader was creating an art project in his classroom with both his teacher and the teacher Intern. He asked the Intern if he could go to the water fountain. She said yes, and he walked into the hall alone to get a drink. He decided at that point that he missed me (his mother)  and wanted to walk to our apartment, to say "Hi" to me then come back to school for gym.  So, he grabbed his backpack off the hook in the hall, and casually walked out the front door of the school.  If he was discovered missing at this point I would have been somewhat relieved but this story has just begun.  

He walked across an intersection, and then crossed over a very busy road.  Being a very bright child and having a very good sense of direction, he arrived at our apartment complex in about 10 minutes time. He rang the bell of our apartment,  and I was not home so he came out and paused to think what to do next. It was at this point a neighbor whom neither I nor my son were familiar with noticed my son all alone, and instead of calling the police, she decided to approached him to come into her apartment to wait for me to arrive.    

My son being taught never to go with strangers of any kind immediately ran away from her bolting up the street back toward his school. However as he stopped and reached the very busy road again, instead of crossing it and heading back to school, he thought that I might be at the local grocery store and decided to check and see so he started walking down another very busy road, over a very dangerous overpass and around a very sharp hairpin turn. 

  If you are wondering if anyone had noticed him gone yet at the school my answer will sicken you as it did me. No, no one noticed that my innocent little 7 year old was walking over a major highway and could be kidnapped or killed at any given moment.  Instead his teachers continued creating art projects with the rest of the class as my son continued walking a very very dangerous road.     As he reached the end of the busy street he took a left at another dangerous intersection onto another road and began again walking toward the grocery store.

Now, this grocery store is on a main road with street lights and heavy traffic.  He only got  a few feet up the road when a car pulled up beside my son and a man came out and my son got inside. LUCKILY this “man” was a police officer and the police officer took him back to his school.  However, it could have been anyone.   As the my son’s 1st grade class finished their art projects and the teachers directed them to go back to their seats, it was only then once all the kids were seated that they noticed that my son’s chair was empty.  Panicked and confused they scattered looking for him and headed to the principal’s office where simultaneously the police officer arrived with my son, delivering him to the school principal. 

Meanwhile, my mother had asked me if I could drive her to an eye Dr. appointment in Plaistow NH, earlier in the day as her eye had suffered an injury and she was unable to drive. It was about 11:30am when I left to visit her and then when we left for the appointment, I had just enough time to go to her appointment and get back to pick up the kids from school at 3:05pm (I have 2 boys) I live about an hour and a half away from Plaistow.  However, about 20 minutes into the eye appointment, I was not ready for the call I received at 1:30pm on my cell phone.   

I was chatting with my Aunt to pass time while my mom was in her appointment until she had to go and moments later I got a call from my son’s school. First the woman said that she was relieved to have gotten a hold of me and had finally got the “right” number and that she had just contacted my Aunt (*the one I was just speaking with moment before).  I was a little confused as I knew updated ALL my info in the beginning of the year with the school for BOTH my kids and was not sure why my cell number was not updated with the reception for emergencies. Too concerned about what she was calling about I let it go and listened to her.  I was told by this woman that my older son was in the principals office “safe and sound” but at 12:30pm he had asked to go to the bathroom and walked outside the school and a police man found him and took him back.  That’s all I was told.

She asked that I please come to the school as soon as possible, because the principal wanted to talk to me about this incident.    Devastated as you can probably imagine I ran to the receptionist and pleaded to get my mother and she did. My mother had just gotten a special bandage and needed it removed so we could leave (took about 10 minutes felt like 2 hours).  Due to her not being able to see obviously “I” had to drive the entire trip. Naturally there was horrible traffic that I hadn’t considered and it took much longer then I anticipated.   

We arrived at the school “safe and sound” at 3:15pm.  As I walked into the cafeteria where we pick up our kids, my youngest in kindergarten was sitting at a table with his teacher in tears as I was late in picking him up. I was a wreck because of the situation, apologized for being so late explained the basics and scrambled upstairs to first get my oldest son and then meet with the principal.  As we approached the office, my oldest saw me, smiled and hugged me and seemed shockingly unaffected by the entire event.   

After a long hug and ME fighting back many tears, the principal came and greeted me and my mother and son.  We went into his office and I wanted to know what happened.  He was very solemn in his tone and nervous in his posture. I was in shock as I heard the “REAL” story and what truly happened.  I did not yell, cry or rant…. But instead felt sick all over.  I did ask one question, why weren’t the doors LOCKED.  He explained that it was a “safety issue” I said well, it’s NOT working. I was told my son’s teachers were in tears…. I was told whether I wanted it or not that his teachers would be severely reprimanded for what took place but not fired.

He told me that he had to tell the Superintendent of Schools and that there was tests that he wanted done on MY son to see if he had any learning disabilities, to see if he had any behavioral problems etc.  At the time I was in shock and agreed 100%, but now 2 days later I want to have the teachers tested first for disabilities because obviously someone has a problem remembering that 1st and foremost SAFETY comes first!  ALSO, why weren't/ARE there any ALARMS if the doors MUST be kept unlocked for "safety"....or is having an alarm system a safety concern as well?????

  He offered me his apologies and told me that if I wanted to talk with the teachers I was more then welcome to and I did.  They came in quietly… I could tell his teacher was a wreck, her eyes tear stained.  The young Intern looked more in shock and didn’t make eye contact with me. Neither looked half as devastated as “I” felt.  They apologized but it felt forced to me, then again I was so sick over everything so who can tell.  They left and we continued talking.  I was still in a great amount of shock and felt more sick then I can say.  

I asked about why my cell number wasn’t updated and he told me that he had my cell but that they wanted to check my location first and then call.  I found this to be fishy and later found out that I was right.  I HAD updated my info but the receptionist neglected to change my OLD info and therefore it prevented them from calling the correct number. I was again apologized to yesterday morning by the principal and he also told me that he “lectured” the receptionist.  (oh what a big help that was now).    

Now, I’ve had to rehash this horrible story at least 9 times since Wednesday after it happened, to my family, and friends. I decided to keep my son home the following day and home again today Friday, due to a prior Dr. appt. however I’m supposed to resend my children back to this school on Monday, how do I do that????…. How do I trust these people again????. I did not go to the newspapers or news channel with this horrible story,  nor have I decided to legally pursue this, although I’ve been tempted and am still considering it.  I just don’t know what my rights are.  I need help.  

  I feel that my son’s school failed me tremendously and although they apologized and all that…. I feel it’s unsafe to send him there.  I feel that the school was negligent in watching my child and although the outcome was good, it could have been a horror story.   I thank god for allowing the angels to watch my baby, but what about all the rest of the children in this school, what about the future for my children? Why should MY child be labeled anything because of the incompetence of the Principal, teachers and staff? So I ask ANYone…. Now what do I do?