Student leaves Byrd Avenue during recess, returned quickly

By Lucy Parker

The Daily News

Staff at Byrd Avenue Elementary School had a scare Monday when a first-grade student briefly left campus during recess, but Debbie Jenkins, supervisor of elementary education for the Bogalusa City School System, reports he was quickly located without incident.

While the students were out for recess, with about six or seven teachers on duty, the student, moving quickly, went behind the school, climbed a fence that had a locked gate and traveled a short distance, she said. He was quickly located by someone not related to school at the Chevron station on Marshall Richardson Road.

Bogalusa Police Chief Joe Culpepper said officers responded to the gas station and found that the child was fine. Officers called the school and assisted in making parental contact, he said.

Byrd Avenue personnel brought the child back to the school.

“It was a matter of minutes before he was brought back to campus,” Jenkins said.

In her 30 years with the school system, Jenkins said, this is the first time anything like the incident on Monday has happened. She said the school is safe, and proper procedures were followed.

“There were no security violations at the school,” she said. “The school is extremely secure.”