Florida school district’s Absence Notification System changed after death of 13-year-old

Writer: Carolina Guzman
Published: Updated:
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missing
Madeline Soto. Credit: Orange County Sheriff’s Office

A Florida School District is changing its Absence Notification System after a 13-year-old girl’s death.

Madeline Soto was found dead in the woods days after she never showed up to her Orange County Middle school in February.

Her mom didn’t know until she received a notification at the end of the school day.

Thirty-seven-year-old Stephan Sterns, who has a North Port address, was asked by Soto’s mother, whom he was dating, to drop off Soto.

Police discovered during the investigation that Soto was not dropped off at school but was already dead at the time of her disappearance. 

Soto’s body was found in a wooded area in Osceola County.

Sterns is now faces charges in Soto’s disappearance.

Petitions started going around online, demanding the Orange County School District make changes to their policy.

The district said starting in April, those absent notifications will go out sooner to parents.

They’re also working on a system where parents can access an online portal and check their child’s attendance.

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