Boy again escapes a Lexington school unnoticed until he got home. How did it happen twice?

After a first-grader on Tuesday slipped away unnoticed from Mary Todd Elementary during the school day for the second time in 17 months, a Fayette County district official said, “our standards were not met today.”

After Frankie Broughton’s mother Christina Broughton reported In August 2017 that the then-kindergartener left the building unnoticed during the school day and walked home, Fayette County Public Schools imposed new safety measures.

But the safety plan was not followed Tuesday. And for the second time, Frankie, walked out of Mary Todd, then walked the two and a half blocks to his home.

“School and district leaders worked together after the first incident to develop a specific plan at Mary Todd, and that plan was not followed,” school district spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall said late Tuesday night. “We cannot discuss personnel matters, but we will take deliberate action to ensure this never happens again.”

In an interview with the Herald-Leader Wednesday morning, Christina Broughton said, “I need to know that my son is safe there.”

As part of the 2017 safety plan, Frankie was to be escorted by school staff if he left the classroom, Broughton said. But on Tuesday he asked to go to the bathroom.

“They let him go to the bathroom by himself, and he walked right out of the building,’ Broughton said.

School staff did not realize that Frankie was missing until she contacted them, Broughton said. She said she was fortunate to have been at home both times he left school.

“A million and one horrible things could have happened to him,” she said.

This story was originally published March 27, 2019 at 7:47 AM.