Should Dorchester Two's Alert System Identify Possible Abductions?

The parent link notification system at Dorchester County School District Two serves a simple purpose: let parents know their children were absent and remind them to bring an excuse the next day.

These notifications are sent after 4:30 p.m.

But one parent wants to change that and has started a petition to get the absentee alert system sooner so parents can be notified earlier in case the child is abducted from the bus stop.

Click here to see the petition.

But district spokeswoman Pat Raynor said the system is not intended to alert parents of a kidnapping but to be used as a reminder for them to bring an excuse the following day. She added that there are security measures in place at schools to prevent child abductions, and that if parents are worried about leaving their children unattended at the bus stops, they can drop them off early at school. 

"We have quite secure schools," Raynor said. "(The notification system) is a wonderdul resource but it's not the only way to ensure your child's safety."

Candise Gore is behind the petition. Her child attends Spann Elementary.

She wrote in an email to Patch:

 A recent vacation  my family went on has brought a safety concern  with summerville schools to my attention. Over the five-day vacation my family went on, Dorchester District 2's Spann Elementary School, who uses the parent link system, failed to notify me of my child's absence until 4:50-5:10pm each day for the five consecutive days. The school board and school have explained to me that calls do not START going out to parents until 4:30pm for any child's absence in grades k-12.

This is a safety concern especially in today's economy when both parents have to work and can't afford to wait with their children at the bus stop. If a child is abducted while waiting for the bus or  on  his or her way to school the parents or guardian, AS OF NOW, will not be notified that their child failed to attend school until 4:30 pm at the earliest. 

Raynor said the district isn't ignoring Gore's concern.

"We're taking her suggestions and concerns very seriously," Raynor said.