Thursday, October 15, 2026
A five-year-old kindergarten student with autism left Riverside Elementary School in Rockville Centre unattended on Wednesday afternoon.
Police and other first responders rushed to the elementary school campus, according to News12, after the young boy was declared missing during school hours on Sept. 3. News12 reported that his parents found him back at their home half a mile from the campus.
The five-year-old was said to have climbed a school gate to walk home, being undetected for 12 minutes.
Rockville Centre Superintendent Matthew Gaven released a statement to the community on behalf of the district, saying, “During an outdoor activity, one of our kindergarten students left the playground area, climbed the fence at the property line, and walked home. The child is safe and is with their family. We take this matter extremely seriously.”
Gaven said in the statement that the district is currently conducting a review of their supervision practices to ensure safety of their students. These include re-training all staff on active supervision practices, strengthening headcount and line-up procedures and reviewing campus security, including fencing and gates.
“We know this news may cause concern,” Gaven said in the statement. “We want to assure you that your child’s safety is, and will remain, our top priority.”
The Rockville Centre Police Department was not available for comment.
