Texas school district investigates how a girl with Down syndrome went missing from school

From the Dallas Morning News:

A 12-year-old girl with Down syndrome went missing from Curtis Middle School in Allen for more than half an hour Friday. Christina Borders was found, unharmed, at a Wal-Mart grocery store about a half-mile away.

The Allen Independent School District confirmed that it’s investigating the incident, but wouldn’t discuss details.

“How did this occur and under what circumstances – those are questions we need to look at,” said Tim Carroll, spokesman for Allen ISD. “Then we need to look at what action we need to take, if any.”

Christina’s parents said they are upset that the incident happened and that they learned about it only after Christina was found. They say they should have been contacted as soon as she was discovered missing.

Her mother, Patricia Borders, teaches chemistry at Allen High School, which like Curtis Middle School is part of Allen ISD. That did not prevent her from criticizing how Curtis Middle officials handled the episode.

“I’m speaking as a mother,” Borders said.

Gregg Borders, the father, said, “We’ve had more problems with the Allen school district than we care to count.”

Allen police received a report of a child missing from Curtis Middle School at 3:49 p.m., and the child was located at Wal-Mart at 4:11 p.m., said Sgt. Nicole Shaw.

“It’s my understanding that someone from Wal-Mart called in,” Shaw said.

School staff were supposed to make sure Christina got on a school bus at 3:30 p.m., but discovered her missing just after that, Patricia Borders said.

The parents, who are divorced, said they want to know for sure that their daughter went to Wal-Mart by herself, and wasn’t abducted.