Brentwood Elementary School and the Calcasieu Parish School Board are continuing to investigate how a kindergartner was allowed
on a day care van instead of the bus he usually takes home after school.
Jadaelyn Jackson, 6, was reported missing on Monday when he did not return home after school. His older sister said she did
not see him get on the bus with her, and a review of bus cameras reportedly did not show Jackson boarding either bus.
Authorities, community members and educators searched for the boy until All About Kids Day Care called officials to say Jackson
was at their center the whole time and that he was safe.
Jackson, who was returned to his
parents at about 7:45 p.m., has been both a bus and a car rider in the
past, according to
Assistant Superintendent Gary Anderson. The day care was expecting
a new student from the elementary school and mistook Jackson
for the child they were meant to pick up, he said.
“We’re initiating an investigation and will make those changes to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” said Brent Washington,
Brentwood Elementary principal. “We are very appreciative to the Calcasieu community and were very impressed with everyone
who came out to help. The public, the School Board ... the Sheriff’s Department, they did a phenomenal job and were really
on top of it.”
Washington said teachers stand outside
with students as they leave school grounds. Schools officials are
weighing their options
to improve surveillance as children leave. On Tuesday the School
Board continued to review reports on the incident from Brentwood
educators as well as speak to employees at the day care that
picked up Jackson.
“We want to make sure we have
procedures to make sure children are where they’re supposed to be,” said
Calcasieu Parish School
Superintendent Wayne Savoy. “There are some things that we could
do better and that need to be tightened. We’re going to analyze
everything that occurred so that this doesn’t happen again.”