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Public commenters urge District 211 to expand gun-safety messaging and protect special-needs services after federal change
Summary
Three speakers at the Township High School District 211 public comment period urged continued gun-safety outreach, greater mental-health and disability supports, and resistance to federal cuts to the Department of Education.
During public comment at the Township High School District 211 Board of Education meeting, community members urged the district to expand safe-gun-storage outreach, preserve mental-health and special-education services and to note concerns about recent federal changes to the U.S. Department of Education.
Kathy Reisberg thanked the board for a 2024 decision to partner with local police to post information on safe gun storage and to provide gun locks through school resource officers. She said the district’s work on that topic is a useful starting point for further community conversation about preventing gun injuries and deaths.
Joyce Slavic, a resident, emphasized the scale of the problem and criticized statements on social media by a board member. “Guns are now the number 1 cause of death for children,” Slavic said, and she cited Everytown Research figures about unsecured firearms in homes and the lethality of suicide attempts using guns. Slavic added that “76 percent of school shooters acquired their firearm from the home of a parent or close relative” and offered a free gun lock from Palatine Police Station during her remarks.
Kelly Lakas, who identified herself as a district resident and parent, said she was concerned about the March federal decision to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and urged the board to prioritize inclusion, diversity and services for students with special needs locally. “We don’t have a lot of control over these larger shifts, but we have a lot of control over what happens here in our district,” Lakas told the board, asking how the district will respond to the federal change and protect supports for special-needs students.
Why it matters: Speakers tied national policy and local practices to student safety and equity. The board did not respond during the public comment period; the meeting’s rules state that the session is not a dialogue and board members will not answer questions during public comment.
The board noted the comments and proceeded to the agenda. No formal board action was taken during the public comment period on gun-safety outreach or special-education funding during this meeting.
