KENNEDY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Parents and families of students who attend Sto-Rox Primary Center want answers from school administrators after 5-year-old Jedadiah Jackson wandered away from a playground, prompting a massive search and rescue effort that led to his safe return.
Questions remain as to exactly how Jedadiah Jackson – a nonverbal 5-year-old who has autism – was able to wander into the woods, away from the playground, during recess at Sto-Rox Primary Center.
“They need to get more help to keep eyes on the children,” said Kathy Immler, a grandmother.
Several hours after Jedadiah wandered off, he was found deep in the woods behind school property. A close call, many families say, could have been much worse – and they want to make sure that nothing of the sort ever happens again.
Channel 11 sent an email to several school administrators on Wednesday morning, asking about the teacher-to-student ratio during recess when Jedadiah disappeared – if Jedadiah was assigned a personal aide, in accordance with an individualized education program – and if that person was on the playground when he disappeared. We have not heard back.
“I don’t know what they were doing, and I’m not trying to say that they are a bad person or whatever, but any child, especially a child that’s autistic, you have to keep your eyes on them. You have to watch them at all times,” said Anita Tucker, a caregiver.
This isn’t the first time an intense search was underway for a sto-rox student with special needs, who disappeared from a school. In January 2024, 17-year-old Kayla Durler was dropped off in the parking lot of the high school on a day it was closed and was missing for more than a day. that led to policy changes within the district.
Shortly after Jedadiah was found Tuesday night, we asked school board president Cameron Culliver if protocols would be reassessed this time around as well.
“That’s our job to go back and say, “Okay - what did we do? How could it have been prevented? and then we make sure that we button up those things. It’s not every day this happens,” said Culliver.
When he was found, Jedadiah was taken to Children’s Hospital to be checked out and has since been released.
Wednesday night, the Sto-Rox School District released a statement saying, in part:
“While the district is deeply relieved and grateful that the missing student was found safe, we also recognize the significant impact this incident had on the student’s family, our staff, and the community at large.
District leadership is conducting a thorough review of current practices. We are working closely with law enforcement partners to analyze this situation and its impact on our student safety procedures. At the same time, we are committed to ensuring students and staff have access to the resources and support they require in the wake of this incident.
We are profoundly thankful to the first responders — including those who traveled here from different townships and counties — for their swift and tireless efforts in the search and rescue mission. We also extend our gratitude to the Sto-Rox staff, community members, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Salvation Army, and other community partners who stepped forward to provide support during this difficult time.
Out of an abundance of caution, and to protect the privacy of the student and his family during the investigation, the district will not be releasing further details.”
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