Parents, students and staff press Paola USD 368 to restore ‘Safe Zone’ visibility after board removes classroom signs

The Paola USD 368 Board of Education faced sustained public comment from parents, staff and students who said removing classroom “Safe Zone” signs has left some students feeling unsafe and exposed.

Board President (name not specified) told the meeting that the removal of signs was a directive to the superintendent arising from a December executive session and that administration has worked with students to reestablish a Gay–Straight Alliance (GSA). "The club is allowed to hang school approved signs," the board statement said. The board added it would "make no further comment regarding this issue." (Board statement, public remarks at start of meeting.)

Why it matters: Dozens of speakers told the board the signs functioned as simple, visible signals that adults in a classroom would listen and help students experiencing bullying, family rejection or mental-health crises. Several speakers tied the matter to student safety statistics and specific local incidents they attributed to anti-LGBTQ harassment.

Parent Jenny Palmer said the district’s recent reinstatement of a GSA was a positive step, but told the board the club alone doesn’t serve students "in immediate crisis." "The need for this support was unmistakably evident at last month's meeting when a person of the community was allowed to come in here and bully and shame the students in this room," Palmer said. She urged the district to "set up forums to truly listen to these kids and the experiences that they're having." (Jenny Palmer, parent.)

Renee Bowman, a teacher in the district, said teachers learn in their training that students must feel safe before they can learn: "This is where our district has recently dropped the ball," she told trustees. Bowman said removing signs without clear response to student pleas has made some students "feel as if bullies are now permitted to use hate speech and derogatory slurs" on campus. (Renee Bowman, teacher.)

School social worker Amber Steck described professional experience treating youth in crisis and urged immediate action: "Safe zone signs are not political. They are symbols of support. They let students know there are adults in the building who have taken the time to educate themselves about LGBTQ issues and who are committed to being safe, trustworthy allies," Steck said. She added that, in her ER practice, many young people arrive in acute mental-health crisis and that supportive school adults can be lifesaving. (Amber Steck, school social worker; also acute mental-health clinician.)

Students and recent graduates told the board the signs had a practical effect on their willingness to report bullying and seek help. "It is your job to make sure every student feels safe," Grace Wallania, a district graduate and educator, said. "Removing these signs will not remove the problem. Denial will not erase discrimination." (Grace Wallania, PHS graduate and educator.)

Speakers referenced national studies and emergency-room experience to illustrate risk. One commenter cited Trevor Project statistics (as recited to the board) that, nationally, a sizable share of LGBTQ youth have considered suicide; another speaker referenced recent local and regional examples of youth suicide tied to harassment. Those figures were presented by speakers and are reported here as their claims during public comment; the board did not introduce independent data in the meeting record. (Attributions in body reflect speakers' statements.)

Board reaction and next steps: Trustees reiterated that administration and the board are working with students and that a GSA has been reestablished. During the discussion of handbooks later in the meeting, trustees asked administration to review and tighten bullying and harassment language and to return to the board with suggested revisions. The board postponed final action on high school and middle school handbooks and the employee handbook to allow administrators time to propose clarified language. (Handbook motion and follow-up, later in meeting.)

Ending: Several speakers offered design compromises — for example, placing a neutral “safe space” symbol outside counselor offices — while urging the board to act quickly. Multiple parents and staff asked that the district restore classroom signs or otherwise identify trained adult allies sooner than the board’s stated timeline.