Miller: Warwood School Walk-Off Still Being Investigated | News, Sports, Jobs

Photo by Joselyn King – Ohio County Schools Board of Education President David Croft listents during Monday night’s board meeting.

WHEELING — Ohio County Schools plans to ask its parents and staff for ideas on how best to keep children safe in the schools following a student walk-off from the Warwood School last week.

A 6-year old boy had asked his teacher permission to go to the restroom, according to the boy’s mother in a recent Facebook post. He left the classroom unescorted only to leave the school and begin walking to his home at the top of Cherry Hill.

He wore no coat on a cold day, the boy’s mother said, and it was estimated he was gone from his classroom for about 45 minutes outside until he was discovered by a passing motorist, who took him to a gas station and called police, who took him back to the school.

Monday night’s board of education meeting lasted about 40 minutes. Few were in attendance, and no delegations signed up to address the board.

Superintendent Kim Miller began the meeting by acknowledging the incident.

“I wanted to let the board know we are working very closely with administration and staff members so this will never happen again in the future. If so, we will have additional protocols in place,” Miller said.

For now, she wants to allow the local school improvement councils (LSICs) at all schools in the district and their safety committees time to formulate safety protocols and practices that can be put into place.

“We’ll be anxious to hear that and share with the public,” board president David Croft told her. “Are there additional protocols (needed), or is it just human error?”

Miller proceeded to talk about all the other “wonderful things happening in Ohio County Schools.” She spoke of the recent successes of the Wheeling Park High School speech team, and about Ohio County Schools Service Person Of The Year Jody Miller traveling to Charleston Monday to present U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito with the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Legislative Hero Award.”

After Monday’s meeting Miller said she couldn’t comment as to whether any school employees might be punished over the incident.

“If it’s about personnel, we can’t discuss it,” she said. “It’s ongoing, we’re on it, and we take this situation very seriously.”

She said there was no timeframe established for the potential disciplining of employees or the implementing of protocols.

The child’s mother, Katie Morris, expressed her anger about the incident in the Facebook post.

“To get as far as he did, he would have had to be walking for no less than a half-hour. If you add in the time he was in the restroom, he was probably gone for about 45 minutes,” she posted.

“And not one adult, not one teacher knew he was gone,” she continued. “A stranger picked my son up and put him in her car, drove him to the gas station, and called the police. He was picked up there by a cop and returned to school and that’s when I was called while I was at work and his dad was called. There are no words that can describe my anger.”

She said in the post she has removed both her children from Warwood School, fearing it is not a safe place.

The board next convenes at 6 p.m. on Jan. 24 at Wheeling Park High School.