A special needs student fled school, running onto a greenway. Can Wake keep her safe?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Wake Forest student with autism escaped school, prompting parent safety concerns
- Removal of extra staff coincided with rise in child's elopement incidents in 2025
- School district reviewing special-education staffing after greenway incident
Brittany Futch got a call on Monday that would terrify any parent — her 6-year-old daughter with autism had wandered outside her school and was running alone along the nearby greenway.
Fortunately, an instructional assistant at Heritage Elementary School in Wake Forest caught up with her daughter Arya before she could hop down from a bridge into the rushing waters below. It was a close call for Arya, who has a track record of bolting away from her teachers and other adults unless she’s closely supervised.
“I shouldn’t have to be afraid when I drop her off at school or that she’ll be on the bridge,” Futch said in an interview with The News & Observer.
Last school year, the Wake County school system provided an extra instructional assistant in Arya’s special-education classroom to help keep an eye on her. The position was removed this school year, so Futch is lobbying Wake to bring it back.
Citing student privacy laws, the school district said it couldn’t discuss the specifics of Futch’s case. But Lisa Luten, a district spokesperson, said Thursday that Wake is reviewing the staffing levels for Heritage’s special-education program.
‘Elopement’ common among children with autism
Wandering, also called elopement or bolting, is when someone leaves a safe area or a responsible caregiver, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About half of children and youth with autism spectrum disorder were reported to wander, according to a national survey. It’s a very real concern for Arya, who has an air tag on her clothing and an ankle bracelet connected to Wake County’s Project Lifesaver to help find her in case she wanders off.
Wake doesn’t record how many of its students have elopement issues.
For students who have a pattern of elopement, Wake says it tries to teach them replacement behaviors that are alternatives to running off.
“When data indicates that those supports are not adequate, we designate additional adult support to keep students safe,” the district said in an email.
A history of bolting from school
In Arya’s case, her Individualized Education Program (IEP) notes that she “is a very smart little girl” who needs some extra assistance to help keep her regulated. Futch provided The N&O with copies of Arya’s IEPs and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), which are not public records.
The documents highlight the challenges of educating Arya, who spends most of her school day in an Elementary Behavior Support classroom with other special-needs students.
According to her IEP, an adult must hold Arya’s hand during every transition in the classroom. An adult must sit next to or behind Arya in class and must follow her and always be within arm’s reach of her during outside time such as on the playground.
Despite those measures, Arya’s IEP shows she tried to elope 37 times while on the playground during a two-week period in May 2024. She was usually stopped after a few minutes.
Arya also tries to run around her classroom even though one or two staff members are supposed to sit next to her at all times.,
Sometimes Arya is able to make it outside the school building. In August 2024, school records say Arya ran from her classroom, through the playground and around the school
“It took between three to six staff members chasing after her to get her contained and stopped,” school records say. “She did not respond to any verbal or visual prompts to stop running.”
Extra assistant assigned to classroom
Futch requested an instructional assistant be assigned to monitor Arya one-on-one. At the time, only two instructional assistants worked with the teacher in a classroom with up to six special-needs children.
After multiple incidents at the start of last school year, a third instructional assistant was assigned to Arya’s classroom.
The elopement issues didn’t disappear, but they dropped in frequency. Between Oct. 21 and Dec. 23, school records show Arya tried to run 21 times.
Futch credits the additional instructional assistant with helping keep Arya more focused.
“When she had a one-on-one, she was able to walk with the teacher,” Futch said. “She didn’t elope at all.”
School removes instructional assistant
But this school year, Arya’s classroom is back to having only two instructional assistants. The extra assistant was assigned to a different classroom.
Luten, the district spokesperson, said Heritage Elementary’s student enrollment came in lower than projected. Schools are funded for staff positions based on the number of students they have.
For Futch, the removal of the extra assistant had a predictable result. Futch said there’s just not enough support now for the teacher to supervise the class.
“The second that aide was taken away, she began eloping,” Futch said. “It’s gotten worse.”
‘Potentially life-threatening matter’ for child
Futch’s worst fears nearly came to pass this week when Arya made it out of the school and ran nearly a half-mile along the greenway. Futch is worried it could happen again with a tragic result because Arya has become “obsessed with water.”
“When arriving at school, she frequently points out the entrance to the greenway and has explicitly stated her intention to go over the three bridges along the greenway, which have rushing water beneath them,” Futch said in an email to the school after Monday’s incident. “She has also verbalized plans to swim in the turtle pond and to go under the bridges.”
Futch asked Heritage to take immediate steps, including increasing staffing in the classroom and developing a safety plan for Arya.
“If Arya elopes again or comes to harm while in the school’s care, I will hold the school fully responsible for any resulting consequences,” Futch wrote in the email to Heritage. “The proximity of the greenway and turtle pond make this a serious, potentially life-threatening matter.”
Heritage Principal Amy Harmon responded to Futch in an email Tuesday, saying she would submit the paperwork asking the district to provide an additional support position. Harmon also met with Futch on Wednesday to review the safety plan for Arya.
“The school is responding,” Luten said. “The school has processes in place to keep children safe.”
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
