A parent from CRCSD claims that their child left school

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – A parent in the Cedar Rapids Community School District reported to the board of education on Monday that his daughter, who is five years old, wandered out of Pierce Elementary and was discovered by an unknown individual.

John Thompson addressed the board during the meeting on Monday night, saying, “What happened to my family today is an atrocity that should not happen to anyone in the school district.”

In his bid for a seat in the Iowa House of Representatives, Thompson claims that his daughter vanished from Pierce around 10:45 a.m. on Monday, just an hour before the CRCSD decided to release primary kids early due to extreme heat.

Thompson claims that his daughter believed she had been yelled at by a teacher for misbehaving. He claims that after searching the second-grade area for her brother, she left the school believing he had been picked up without her.

Thompson claims that his daughter managed to go to 42nd Street NE, where she was discovered and taken to the Thompson residence by a woman.

Thompson claims that his family did not receive a call until ten minutes after his daughter was left off at home.

Thompson asserted, “No parent should be concerned that a school is unaware of their child’s whereabouts.” “That’s what they do.”

Thompson claims that after the principal visited to speak with his family, he only received a partial apology when he inquired about what might be done to ensure this didn’t happen again.

“Children should not be able to leave a school unattended,” Thompson said.

A CRCSD spokesperson released the following statement regarding the incident:

“CRCSD recognizes the seriousness of the safety incident that occurred on Monday, August 26, involving a student who left school grounds during the school day. The safety and well-being of our students remain our absolute highest priority. The school immediately implemented established safety protocols, and we are deeply grateful to the school staff and the Cedar Rapids Police Department for their swift and coordinated response. The District is currently conducting a thorough investigation into the incident to help identify the gaps in our safety procedures. We understand the concern this has caused our families and community, and we are taking immediate steps to review and strengthen our safety measures to help prevent such incidents in the future.”