The Lompoc Unified School District said Friday that 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, missing from Vandenberg Village, was first enrolled in the district just two months ago and was last seen in August, narrowing the timeline in a case that has drawn widespread attention.

In a written statement released Friday afternoon, district officials said Melodee and her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, visited Mission Valley Independent School in August to begin the registration process for independent study, a program in which students complete coursework off campus under teacher supervision.

“We appreciate our staff’s care, vigilance, and procedural follow-through, which accelerated the appropriate next steps,” the district said, crediting employees for acting promptly once concerns arose.

Lompoc Unified note

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