A five-year-old Copper Rim student was located at a friend’s house in Pueblo Heights this afternoon. She was unharmed and had apparently decided that she would take a school bus to visit her friend.
The Boys & Girls Club was one of the agencies called during the search for the Kindergartner this afternoon. In fact, the Club was called several times and visited by two District personnel. A phone call to another Copper Rim revealed that the girl had taken the bus to her friend’s house, and that information was confirmed by several kids at the Club.
A district representative arrived at the Club with the intent of talking to one of the girl’s friends (with permission from the Club member’s parent), and she and other Club members confirmed to the woman the missing girl had been on the bus with them.
Erika Flores, a first-grade teacher at Copper Rim, was among numerous school and district staff making phone calls that led to student’s location. She said she was grateful the missing student’s friends were able to help. “We are so grateful to these two special little girls who were able to give us such great information,” she wrote. “They helped us find their friend.”
Aimee Staten has worn several hats over the last few years, but she recently put on one of her more familiar caps after four years of working in nonprofits: That of a journalist. She has 14 years of experience in the news business as a reporter with eight of those years as the managing editor of the Eastern Arizona Courier.
Is it not the responsibility of the school as well as bus driver’s to see to it this child gets on the right bus? My granddaughter can’t get on a different bus without my permission. Irresponsible if you ask me