A mother with a child in Houston Independent School District is demanding answers and accountability after her first-grader with special needs disappeared during dismissal time last week.
It happened Thursday, Sept. 28, at Lantrip Elementary School on the southeast side.
“Someone needs to be held accountable,” 6-year-old Serenity’s mother, Mercedes Polk, told KPRC 2.
At the end of the school day, Polk tried to pick up Serenity as usual from the school, but there was no sign of her daughter.
“Staff kept telling me that she’s at the school somewhere, they just don’t know where,” Polk said.
After waiting about 15 minutes, Polk said she knew something was wrong.
After an hour, she followed an assistant principal a mile away to a gas station near I-45 and Cullen Boulevard, where she found her daughter who had wandered off, the school principal, and Houston police.
“She was hysterically crying. Like, I really thought she was hurt,” Polk said. “It hurt me. I’m still shaken up by it, actually. It’s very terrifying.”
Serenity told her mother she tried to find her family’s home, which is a 30-minute drive away, but it took too long.
It’s not clear how Serenity slipped away from school staff during dismissal time when she should’ve been getting in her mother’s car. As a student who normally gets picked up, she has a colored badge and a specific number that gets called when her ride is ready, Polk said.
“HISD is actively investigating the incident at Lantrip Elementary. Student safety is our top priority, and while we cannot comment on the specifics of the incident at this time, Campus and Division leaders will communicate with students and families as we work to strengthen our systems so to prevent future issues,” an HISD spokesperson wrote in a statement to KPRC 2.
After being reunited with her mother, Polk said Serenity pointed out a homeless man nearby, who she claimed helped her.
“He did save her life. Something definitely would have happened to my baby. She could have got hit by a car, kidnapped, anything,” Polk said.
Polk is now pushing for accountability, including an apology from top HISD leaders, and solutions, like transportation to school and a dedicated aide for her daughter.
“This child could have lost her life because this was an egregious negligence that happened,” New Black Panther Nation activist Candice Matthews said. “This is an innocent baby and that is unacceptable.”
She echoed Polk’s call for an apology from district leaders, including Superintendent Mike Miles.
“They need to put safety plans in place for the entire school, not just for my daughter, but for the entire school,” Polk said.
The family met with investigators from Child Protective Services on Tuesday evening. They also have a missing juvenile case on record with HPD. KPRC 2 has not confirmed the status of an investigation with either agency.