Pasco kindergartner makes it home safely after wandering away from school
PORT RICHEY, Fla. - Shelby Perry and Anthony Earl walked Kellis to Fox Hollow Elementary for his fourth day of kindergarten.
"We usually give each other a hug and a kiss," said Perry.
At around noon, Shelby and Anthony had finished lunch at home when she looked out her kitchen window.
"I saw my son, it really honestly scared me to see him not safe and at school."
There was an adult with him who said she'd found him walking on Fox Hollow, headed towards Little Rd.
"She said it looked like he knew where he was going," said Earl.
"His face was beet red, sweating profusely," said Perry.
The family believes he walked more than a half-mile from the school. The district says he wandered away as his class was walking between buildings.
His parents believe he knew how to get home because it's a walk they made every day last year for Pre-K. Like any parents, their minds started to race.
"I was distraught, anything could have happened to my child," said Perry.
The district told FOX 13 they noticed he wasn't with his class right away, and that they had been searching rooms in the building.
They say he was gone from school for a total of 12 minutes.
The school released this statement saying, "It is our responsibility to ensure the health and safety of our students, and the fox hollow teachers and staff take that responsibility very seriously. We have apologized to the student’s family and we are grateful that the student was unharmed. We are reviewing our procedures to ensure it does not happen again."
His parents say that is why they are speaking out.
"I don't want another child to get hurt like my son coud have."