Benjamin Ryan Hansen and another parent told the Sioux City Community School District board on Sept. 8 that their third-grade son at Morningside STEM Elementary repeatedly lacked required paraeducator supervision called for in his individualized education program. Parents said the problem has occurred across multiple years and escalated this fall.
The parents described missed para coverage during unstructured times and said school staff failed to provide timely, specific notifications after incidents. “He has an IEP and there's need for this adult supervision at all time,” Benjamin Ryan Hansen said. Jessica Olsen, who identified herself as the child’s mother, said the notification process is “lacking” and that parents sometimes learn about incidents only from their son. “If a child is supposed to have 1 to 1 para, it should be 1 to 1,” Olsen said.
Why it matters: The parents framed the issue as both a failure to meet a contractual special-education plan and a safety concern tied to the child’s impulse control. Board members asked whether school and district staff had been contacted; the parents said they had met with the building principal and scheduled an IEP meeting for the coming Wednesday, and that they had not yet spoken with Jared Mosier or other district-level special-education administrators.
What board members and staff said: Superintendent Juan Cordova acknowledged the reports of repeated problems and Dr. Cordova asked staff to follow up. When asked to lead communication, Dr. Wang responded that she had already reached out to others in the meeting and would “directly communicate with the family.”
Discussion versus action: The board did not take formal action on the complaint at the Sept. 8 meeting. Board members asked clarifying questions; Dr. Wang committed to investigate and update the family. No policy change or formal remedy was voted at the meeting.
Key details from the meeting: Parents said the child is 8 years old and in third grade at Morningside STEM Elementary. They said the child’s IEP specifies a one-to-one aide but that aides are sometimes shared across students and shifts. The family described a recent incident that occurred during lunch/inside recess when they were not told which para was absent or why coverage lapsed. The parents said they had requested an immediate IEP meeting and had ongoing meetings with the principal.
Next steps noted at the meeting: Dr. Wang agreed to “spearhead the communication and find out, give, give these parents some answers,” and said she had already reached out to people in the room to collect information and follow up directly with the family.
Ending: The board’s public comment period concluded after the parents’ remarks; board members did not schedule a separate public hearing or vote related to the complaint that evening.