Student unexpectedly dies after going to school sick

MARION COUNTY, Fla. (FOX 35 WOGX) - Marion County Public Schools is trying ease the minds of parents after a sixth-grade student who died. 

“After speaking with hospital doctors and nurses that treated the child, the Florida Department of Health here in Marion County today says no treatment is necessary for anyone who was around this student,” said a voice message that was sent home to all parents at Horizon Academy. 

Parents are still on edge.  

Kevin Christian, spokesperson for the school district says the boy got off the bus not feeling well Wednesday morning. 

“He came into the clinic dazed, not feeling well, nauseous.  It just kind of got worse very quickly. They called 911. The ambulance came, took the student to the hospital, then he was transferred to another hospital where he died,” said Christian. 

At the request of the boy’s parents, Marion County schools are not releasing the child’s name. Because of HIPAA Laws, the Florida Department of Health in Marion County cannot say how the boy died.  The school has  taken precautions. 

“We pulled that bus off duty, the bus the student rode to school on. We cleaned it and we’ve had the custodians at both schools go through and do some extra cleaning,” said Christian. 

Carlos Aguirre has two seventh-graders at Horizons Academy.  He kept both of them home Thursday. 

“I’m not going to take a chance on my kids because that is my world,” said Aguirre. 

Latoya Wilkerson did send her child to school today, but she admits she’s concerned about what would cause a child so young to die so suddenly. 

“I wonder, I do question what could it have been?  I don’t know whether it could have been something already been previously going on with the child, if he’d already been sick, if he didn’t tell his parents?” said Wilkerson. 

Marion County Schools says the little boy’s family asked them not to release the boy’s name because they were still notifying extended their extended family.