Glens Falls School chief on Kensington kindergartner lost & found at Crandall Pond

By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor

Glens Falls School Superintendent Krislynn Dengler tells The Chronicle the Kensington Road School five-year-old who wandered from the school playground last Monday, Sept. 9, was discovered at Crandall Park Pond by a driver passing by on Glen Street.

“She saw a child unattended. When she got out of her vehicle, she described to me that she tried to get him, and he moved away from her and went into the water, about waist deep.”

After the woman called it in, Dr. Dengler said, “Fire arrived; EMTs arrived.

“Everyone was there to make sure the child was healthy. And then Mom, of course, was notified, and so she came there as well.”

The child did not seem distressed, she said. “They did put a blanket around him. We had our school nurse come over and evaluate him, so he saw a familiar face. The principal was there before mom, and certainly mom’s a familiar face, his teacher was there, and he seemed okay.”

It was the third day of school, the child’s first year in the district, Dr. Dengler said.

“From what we understand the group was out on the playground, and the child left the playground area through the woods” bordering Crandall Park.

“There was some time before it was noticed that he was missing, and then 911 was called by our principal (Marissa Macey), who was in the building.”

“Then, while I believe she was on the phone, she learned there was someone calling in to say a child matching the description was found over by Crandall Pond.

“Many of us were already on the ground looking for him. I was driving past the YMCA, by the paths in the woods, thinking that might be enticing to a child.

“I came over there and found him with the community member who found him and was keeping him safe.”

Dr. Dengler said “four or five” adults had been on the school playground. She would not confirm a TV 10 report that there were 12 students in the class.

“It was a small number,” Dr. Dengler said, that were from a single class, “but I can’t identify that number because it further identifies the child.”

Dr. Dengler would not specify whether it was a teacher or other assistants on duty, “because there are implications. But they are adults that are hired by the school.”

She said of the child, “We had no indication that he had an elopement behavior, but that is certainly noted now.”

What happens next? “We have our process that we are continuing with, and our incident response. That entails putting together a timeline of responsibility and actions.

“We immediately did a debrief to figure out how to make sure this never happens again, because safety is the first priority.

“We have talked with the mother,” but not the child, Dr. Dengler said, adding, “I wouldn’t suspect that he was trying to get away.”

“Now we’re looking at, okay, who’s responsible and what accountability needs to happen?”

Are jobs on the line?

“I can’t answer now,” Dr. Dengler said.

“Our next steps, we’ve already started,” she said. “We’ve put up a snow fence to inhibit any entry of the woods right there, off the playground. We’ve gotten quotes from fencing companies to put in a permanent fence.

“We’ve coordinated a training for monitors, just as a safety risk aspect. The principal has already gone through the debrief with all of the monitors and teachers to say, here’s the points at which you’ll stand, to be stationed (outdoors).

“She’s gone through radio protocols and using our handheld internal radios to be able to communicate with each other, the main office and principal, who carries one, and protocols for if you cannot find a child.”

Dr. Dengler said, “If you have any inkling that they might be off the property, you immediately dial 911.”

She notes, “I think there was an assumption (at first) that he was hiding somewhere on the playground.”

At all the district schools, she said, “We’ve gone through safety protocols.

“Every time we have something, the debrief is with everyone, so that they can use it as a learning opportunity, so nothing

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