5-year-olds walk away from school

When Carson City mother Martha Tschetter went to check Monday morning on her son at a day-care center, she was told he was fine and in class.

But Tschetter knew better.

Carson City police had called her at work about 10 minutes before to say her 5-year-old son, Justin, and a 5-year-old girl were found walking up Lone Mountain, about two blocks from the private Educare School and Childcare.

"'Do you know there are kids missing?'" Tschetter recalled asking the woman. "By the time I got to the school, my son had been out for at least a half-hour, and they still didn't know he was gone."

Tschetter said she entrusts her two children to the school three days a week, for which she pays $650 a month.

"My son was looking for an adventure. I'm not mad at him; he's 5," she said. "It was the school's responsibility."

Deputy Mark Jongsma said a caller who lives in the Northridge subdivision reported seeing the children on the hill east of Roop Street.

A state trooper spotted them about 9:50 a.m., and Justin told the deputy where his mother could be reached.

Tschetter said Justin told her he and the girl walked to the Tschetter house, a few blocks from the school, but the door was locked.

Next the duo walked a short distance to Quik-Stop Market at Roop Street and Hot Springs Road, but without money for candy they made their way across Roop Street and started to ascend the hill when a resident spotted them.

Joan Lepas, director of Educare, said the volunteer who told Tschetter her son was fine is new to the school.

"That was a parent volunteer working in the office and she was new. She did the best she could and hadn't heard anything from anyone that there was something wrong," Lepas explained.

How the children disappeared from recess and remained unnoticed is being looked into, she said.

"We're taking care of the situation on this end," she said. "We're working on finding out all the details."

She said the mother of the little girl found with Justin was taking the incident in stride.

"She's been with us for two years," Lepas said of the unidentified mother.

To explain the children's foray, Lepas said, "This little girl is in love with this little guy. It's just a kid thing."

Tschetter said she left Justin and her other son, Andrew, at the school for the remainder of Monday because she had to return to work. She has three days off this week and will use the time to find another child-care provider.

"I'm not going to tolerate this," she said. "I don't let anyone watch my kids, and I put a lot of faith into Educare. My kids are my life."

Educare is in the process of applying for a charter under the name of Carson Montessori School from the Carson City School District. With a charter, Educare would receive state money to operate from the state budget. Currently, it is privately owned and operated.

Educare has 30 students enrolled.

Contact F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.