A Bakersfield mother says her son's asthma attack was mishandled at school, and a substitute teacher failed to get the boy to the office for needed medical attention. The Panama-Buena Vista school district says the situation was handled correctly

Elizabeth Melgoza says her five-year-old son has serious asthma and uses medication and a breathing machine to help control it. But, Melgoza says when she picked Deaygo up on January 5 from Kindergarten at Sandrini School, his lips were blue and he was wheezing badly.

Melgoza said she asked the child if the asthma attack had just started, and he told her he began having trouble during recess. The mother said that's usually about 12:45 p.m. And she was picking him up at 2:30. "It's the worst feeling for that long," said Melgoza -- saying she also has asthma.

The mother said her son told the substitute teacher he was having an attack. "He said four times he told her, and she didn't send him to the nurses because he wasn't coughing," said Melgoza.

But, district Assistant Superintendent Gerrie Kincaid said the substitute teacher reports the child did not say he was having an asthma attack, he just told her that he has asthma.

"Just like a child would come up and say 'I have a new pet' -- that's kind of how the substitute teacher interpreted that exchange between herself and the student," said Kincaid. She says the teacher did not report that the child came to her four times.

Kincaid also says the teacher didn't see any sign the child was in distress. She adds no other staff did, either. "Nobody observed anything about him that would indicate that he was sick or that he was having an asthma attack," said Kincaid.

The mother believes the teacher that day was a substitute for the substitute. But Kincaid says the teacher has all the training required to be in the classroom. "She was a certified substitute assigned to work for that employee for that day, who was out sick," said Kincaid.

The mother is not happy with how the principal or vice principal responded to her son's situation on Jan. 5 or how they responded to her concerns. Melgoza said she left repeated messages for the principal, but he never called back. She finally went to the school and waited for a chance to meet with him.

This mother also questions whether the district has adequate nursing staff at the school. But, the assistant superintendent said nurses are available at every campus.

"We have seven school nurses assigned to our 22 schools," said Kincaid. "When parents enroll their children, if they notify us that there's a condition that we need to be aware of our nurse will meet with the parent to develop a 'health alert' and a protocol to address whatever their medical needs are and conditions while they're at school."

Kincaid said all the nursing staff are registered nurses, and that's the situation at other local elementary school districts.

The Bakersfield City School District has 14 nurses for their 42 schools. The Greenfield District has three nurses for 11 schools, and the Rosedale District has two nurses working between their nine schools.

Kincaid said the Panama-Buena Vista district nurses work with parents to draw up the "health alert" or plan for a student's health issues. She said plans are available for school staff, and included in class folders for substitute teachers. Kincaid said each plan outlines what school staff should look out for, and exactly what to do for that student's medical condition.

But, Melgoza is not satisfied with the school district's response. She has filed a formal complaint, and said she will not send her son to school when that substitute teacher is in his classroom.

Melgoza said her son has had more medical problems since the episode, and he worries no one will help him at school. That's her concern, too. "There's nothing more I can do. I can't follow him around all day. I'm just expecting when I send him to school, he'll be safe."

From the district, Gerrie Kincaid says every necessary action was taken in the boy's situation. And, she says any parent can work with the schools to be sure information and needed medication are ready for the child. "Be sure and report to us what the medical condition is, or the medical concern," said Kincaid.

She said the school nurse will work with parents to draw up the health alert "protocol" that will be ready for the school staff. And she has advice on that. "Be specific with what they feel needs to occur when a medical emergency might arise -- that type of thing -- because we need to put that into the protocol."