Mother says staff called family before 911; KIPP Texas confirms EMS care but not who placed the call.
HOUSTON, Texas — An 8-year-old student collapsed during an asthma episode at KIPP Mosaic Primary on Friday, Dec. 12, prompting an EMS response and a dispute over how quickly the campus escalated to 911. The child was treated and later sent home with a heart monitor, relatives said.
The case spotlights a narrow window between a child’s distress on a playground and the arrival of medics. Kahtoyha Barnes, the student’s mother, accuses the campus of not dialing 911 as her daughter drifted “in and out of consciousness” and says a grandparent made the emergency call after she urged it by phone. KIPP Texas said student safety is paramount and that EMS provided care but did not answer a follow-up question about who called. At issue now are timelines, adherence to the child’s medical plan, and whether staffing or training affected decisions made before first responders reached the school.
Family members identified the child as third-grader Kyrie Randall. She had been running during recess when she lost her breath and fell to her knees, the family said. “I took a breath, and then that was my last breath,” Kyrie told reporters. Barnes said staff called the girl’s father first, then her, and relayed that the nurse was not on campus at that moment. Barnes said she asked immediately whether 911 had been dialed and was told it had not. She phoned her mother and told her to call, then drove to the school. By the time she arrived, medics were on scene. She described frantically asking for an inhaler and said she did not see staff moving with urgency as her daughter was brought inside.
In a short written statement, KIPP Texas described a student “medical incident” on Dec. 12 and said officials evaluated the situation and contacted a parent. The statement said EMS “responded and provided care.” It did not indicate who contacted emergency services. The network said it would work with the family to ensure a medical plan is in place and cited federal privacy rules for not releasing more information. Barnes insists a plan has been on file since pre-K and says it was not followed on Friday. The family said the girl, who is asthmatic and has other conditions, was evaluated at a hospital and released the same day with a wearable heart monitor.
KIPP Mosaic Primary serves students in southwest Houston as part of KIPP Texas, a large public charter network. Charter campuses maintain emergency protocols similar to traditional districts, and many train front-office staff and teachers to initiate 911 calls when students show life-threatening symptoms. Families also file individualized care plans for chronic conditions such as asthma, which outline rescue medications and steps staff should take at recess, in the classroom, and in the office. Barnes said those steps should have included an immediate emergency call and consistent access to her daughter’s inhaler, regardless of the nurse’s location at the time.
No law enforcement agency has announced an inquiry, and KIPP has not said whether it will review staff actions or update procedures. If an internal review proceeds, it would typically compare call logs, radio traffic, nurse schedules, and ambulance reports to reconstruct times and decisions. It could also examine whether staff had up-to-date training on the child’s medical plan and whether additional adults should be certified to administer rescue medication when the nurse is off campus or assisting another student.
Neighbors said they noticed an ambulance outside the campus Friday afternoon and saw adults guiding a child into the front office. “It was quiet until the sirens,” said Luis Ramirez, who lives on the block. Another parent, who asked not to be named, said she received a message that afternoon about a “health situation” on campus and saw police briefly direct traffic near the entrance. Barnes, who arrived while medics were present, said her daughter appeared alert by the time they left. “I want accountability. I want jobs. I want criminal charges pressed,” Barnes said, adding that she plans to seek answers from the network.
As of Sunday, the student was home and attending follow-up appointments while wearing the monitor. KIPP Texas has not clarified who called 911 or whether any employees were placed on leave pending review. The next update could come from an internal campus report or a new statement addressing the timeline and staff actions.
Author note: Last updated December 21, 2025.