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Public commenter urges district to stop pulling special education aides into lunch and medical duties
Summary
A public commenter at an Eagle Point School District 9 board meeting urged the district to stop assigning special education instructional assistants to lunch duty and substitute work, asked for consistent application of the district behavior matrix, and raised concerns about untrained secretaries handling student medical needs.
A public commenter at an Eagle Point School District 9 school board meeting said staff are asking the district to finalize and share a principal survey and raised multiple concerns about how support staff are being used and trained.
The commenter said special education instructional assistants are frequently reassigned to lunch duty and, at times, used to substitute in other positions, reducing time available to support students with special needs. She said the issue appears to be concentrated in the district’s middle schools. The commenter asked the board to "review staffing practices to ensure that SPEDIA's are able to focus on their essential roles without being pulled away from their primary duties."
The commenter also asked the board to ensure consistent application of the district’s behavior matrix so students have uniform expectations across schools. She said inconsistent enforcement risks "confusion and disparities in how behavior is managed across our schools." She asked that administration ensure staff are trained and supported in the matrix’s consistent use.
Separately, the commenter said some school secretaries are being asked to serve as primary points of contact for students with medical needs and that many secretaries do not feel "qualified, comfortable, or safe providing the necessary medical care for students, particularly in cases of serious or ongoing medical conditions." She urged the board to "reevaluate this practice and consider an alternative, more appropriate solution," such as ensuring medical professionals or appropriately trained staff are available.
The commenter said staff feel guilt and fear about potentially making medication errors and requested that concerns be addressed privately if needed. She also offered well wishes to departing staffer Ryan and welcomed Jen as the new HR director.
The district did not take formal action during the public comment period; board members and staff offered to follow up privately where requested.
