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Parents report assaults and failing safety plans at West feeder schools
Summary
Multiple parents told the Sioux City Community School District board that alleged assaults, bullying and ineffective safety plans at West Hills/West Middle/West High are harming students and that building-level responses have been insufficient.
Multiple parents used the district’s public comment period on March 24 to report alleged assaults and recurring safety problems at West feeder schools, and to call on district leaders to strengthen discipline, communication and follow-through on safety plans.
Parents who identified themselves as guardians of students at West Middle and West Hills described incidents they said occurred during school hours and said they were not notified promptly. Laura Peck, a parent of a third-grader who attends a West feeder school, said her 8-year-old child had been assaulted three times in two weeks and that she was not notified by phone when the child told teachers of the incidents. “If a child comes to you and says, ‘I have been touched inappropriately,’ take it seriously,” Peck said.
Nut graf: Several parents said building-level safety plans have not prevented repeat incidents and that administrators sometimes offered limited responses. They urged the district to ensure consistent follow-up, timely parent notification and more effective interventions for students with repeated behavior incidents.
Other parents and community members described long-running problems at West Middle and West High. Kristen Zedeker said her daughter was assaulted in a physical education class and that the district’s safety plans for the alleged perpetrator had not prevented subsequent incidents. Dorena Jackson and other speakers said the district’s disciplinary follow-through had weakened after administrative changes at West schools.
Board members and district staff accepted clarifying questions during public comment but did not take formal action on the complaints during the meeting. Superintendent remarks later in the meeting focused on district scheduling, missed instructional hours due to weather and calendar changes; no immediate policy change addressing the specific safety complaints was announced.
Ending: The board did not take formal action at the March 24 meeting on the safety complaints; parents were told building principals and district staff would follow up on individual cases.
