By Shelley Kofler, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-920394.mp3
Dallas, TX – Dallas school officials say a case of mistaken identity led to yesterday's search for a kindergartener who went home with the wrong adult. KERA's Shelley Kofler says DISD is taking steps to prevent something similar from happening again.
The mix-up occurred with two five-year old kindergarten students at Maple Lawn elementary. Both have the same first name.
School officials say one of the kindergarteners was told a family friend would pick him up after school. The parents of the other kindergartner also sent a family friend to pick up their kindergartner and he took the wrong child home.
The little boy was unharmed but spokesman Jon Dahlander says Dallas school officials have implemented a security plan that will be in place for the rest of the week at Maple Lawn.
Dahlander: The immediate change is they're going to call for the parents to sign out and present an ID when they come to pick up their children in the afternoon that is going to slow down the process of course but in the interest of safety every body wants to take a step back.
Dahlander says each DISD campus has its own policy for releasing children at the of the day. He says DISD will develop a long term plan to insure other children don't leave school with the wrong adults.