Perkins v. Morgan County School Dist., 222 Ga. App. 831, 833-834 (1) (476 SE2d 592) (1996), involved an alleged failure to follow a sign-out policy. At first glance, it appears to be on all fours with this case, but the facts in Perkins are distinguishable from those presented here in several crucial respects. The stated policy was somewhat elastic, and the school secretary understood that she had discretion to interpret it. Id. at 832. The policy provided that a parent "or authorized person" was to sign the child out, unless the child drove a car to school. A parent gave permission by telephone for her child to leave school and walk to her sister's house to babysit. Id. A parent did not sign the child out, but the secretary exercised her discretion to allow permission to be given by telephone. The child was murdered by a stranger en route. The Court held that the policy allowed the secretary to exercise discretion to release a student on a telephone call instead of in person and that she was an "authorized person" to sign the student out. Id. at 835.