ARLINGTON, Va. — A student who reportedly overdosed in a bathroom at Wakefield High School on Tuesday has died, officials told WUSA9 on Thursday night.
The Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) told WUSA9 that the student was a freshman special education English learner.
PTSA President Judith Davis said the student's name is Sergio Flores.
A GoFundMe page has been launched to support the family. As of this writing, it's raised more than $17,000 in just a few hours.
The discovery of the unconscious student at Wakefield High School prompted an early release from classes Tuesday and a drug overdose investigation.
According to a letter sent to families from Wakefield Principal Dr. Chris Wilmore, a student was found unconscious in a bathroom Tuesday morning. Staff called for medical assistance and the student was taken to an area hospital for help by EMS.
Four other students were evaluated by medics at the school.
Students were held in their second-period classes after the student was found as the Arlington County Police Department investigated the incident.
"We are both stunned and saddened to hear the tragic news of a possible student overdose at Wakefield High School," parent advocacy group Arlington Parents for Education said in a statement earlier this week. "We hope that the significance of today’s events involving drug use at school highlights the need for immediate action to ensure the safety of our students going forward."
On Thursday, Wakefield was locked down while police armed with long guns searched the campus for a trespasser who was alleged to have been on campus. No trespasser was found.
Classes were canceled for Friday to give students time to process what's happened this week.
"We will keep the building open during normal hours to provide counseling services and mental health support for students and staff who may need help processing this week’s incidents," Arlington Public Schools (APS) said in a statement. "CIGNA Employee Assistance Program (EAP) staff will also be available on site for additional staff support. Buses will run on the normal schedule to ensure all students who need support can access it. Breakfast and grab-and-go meals will be provided for students."
Thursday night, the Arlington County School Board addressed what happened at Wakefield High School this week.
"We recognize the need for change," said one board member.
Arlington County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán told the room that every school has a crisis management team and a safety plan.
"There's no single measure that will prevent all the threats from occurring, but we have to be vigilant and report all concerning behavior right away," said Dr. Durán.
The board discussed the opioid issue, and what it would take to make Narcan more accessible.
"What would it take to have Narcan in every classroom, so it's as close as hand sanitizer," asked Cristina Diaz-Torres, the Vice-Chair of the Board.
The Superintendent said right now more than 200 Arlington County Public School teachers are trained on how to use it. He said they're working on a plan to get more trained.
"The kids are not okay," said Josh Folb. He's both a parent and a teacher in Arlington County Public School system.
He's also trained on how to use Narcan. He told WUSA9 he thinks all of the staff and even the students should be trained on how to use it.
"I want to see action and should this happen outside my classroom door, that I'm prepared for it and everyone around is prepared for it," said Folb.
Some of the parents expressed frustration with the meeting.
"It was pure crisis pr," said Judith Davis. Davis is a parent, but also the PTSA President of Wakefield High School.
She told WUSA9 she and many of the other parents had hoped the board would say "these are the things we thought we had in place, but they're really not, and if they are, they aren't working. We need to work together to make sure that we do better".
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, help is available and there are numerous treatment resources available in Arlington.