Madeline Soto’s murder could prompt changes to Orange County public School policies
Posted on 03/13/24 at 12:36
- The Madeline Soto case could lead to attendance policy changes.
- A Change.org petition was circulated.
- Will the Orange County Public Schools respond?
After the death of Madeline Soto, Orange County Public Schools are considering changing their notification system for absences.
This would mean parents are notified right away when a student is absent from classes so they will be alerted to potential disappearances more quickly.
Although school official have not yet commented on how the new process will work, parents and representatives of students in Orange County have organized to collect 15,000 signatures.
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A Petition spurred by Madeline Soto’s murder
A Change.org petition is now three thousand signatures away from reaching its goal.
The petition, entitled ‘Attendance Notification Policy,’ aims for school staff to promptly notify parents of student absences.
«Notifying parents promptly in the morning about student absences,» the petition reads.
It goes on: «[T]o avoid a scenario where a student is absent without parent’s knowledge for 10 hours, like in the case of Madeline Soto.»
Orange County Public Schools are urged to immediately notify parents of student absences
Jennifer Soto, Maddie’s mother, informed authorities and the media that she didn’t realize her daughter hadn’t arrived at school until she went to pick her up at 4:30 p.m. on February 26.
It wasn’t until 8:00 p.m. that evening when law enforcement announced her disappearance.
However, recent investigations indicate there may be inconsistencies in the statements given by Soto’s mother to investigators.
«While this petition was prompted by Madeline’s disappearance, we now know that it couldn’t have saved her life, the petition emphasizes.
The Madeline Soto case could prompt a change in school policy
«[B]ut it can make a difference in the life of a child in the future. Every minute counts when a child is missing!» the petition continues.
According to officials from Orange County Public Schools, parents or guardians are notified of a student’s absence through automated phone calls, text messages and emails.
However, they did not explain whether this notification is sent at the beginning of classes or after the dismissal time.
Information gathered by MundoNow indicates that the student absence notification policy varies throughout the Central Florida School District.
Will the petition spark change?
«This should be a standard across the entire state of Florida and the United States of America,» says Julia Elliot, one of the mothers supporting the initiative.
«People should be promptly aware when their loved ones, especially young children, go missing,» she added.
The Michelle Soto case has deeply affected the entire community in Florida.
It has prompted a review of the system and mobilizing people to demand justice for her and prevention mechanisms to prevent other children from losing their lives.
