Decisions around school placement aren’t black and white; much depends on the individual student and their specific needs. That said, certain safety concerns and behavioral patterns often come up when a student has a history of elopement.
Rather than jumping straight to a more restrictive setting, education advocate Dr. Sarah Pelangka notes that the first step is usually a thoughtful conversation with the district about the physical layout of the school site. She strongly recommends touring the campus ahead of time and paying close attention to details such as fencing, exit points, and proximity to major streets. All of this helps determine whether the environment is reasonably secure. Dr. Pelangka adds that placing a student with elopement behaviors at a school near a busy intersection is generally not ideal. A quieter campus in a residential area, especially one with secure perimeters, might be a better fit.
Dr. Pelangka is careful to point out that these discussions aren’t necessarily about restricting access. Rather, they’re about finding a school environment that balances safety with the student’s ability to participate and thrive.
If the school has taken all the right steps, such as completing evaluations, building a behavior intervention plan, and updating it as needed, and the student continues to elope, it’s possible that the team might consider more restrictive placement.
For more information, see our full article Elopement at School.
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