Public commenters urge more mental-health education, a copy of Man's Search for Meaning and teaching of the Bible

Several members of the public used the meeting's public-comment period to urge changes to the district curriculum, focusing on mental-health instruction and the inclusion of particular readings and religious material.

Ed O'Donnell of Ocean City urged the board to ensure every high-school student reads Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl and said his charity has donated about 400 copies to schools in the past. O'Donnell described the book as a powerful account of survival that he recommends for high-school readers and offered to help the district obtain copies. He also recommended mental-health and related elective courses (for example, health, coping with tension, anger management and family relations) and suggested a sequence of physical health, mental health, philosophy and world religions.

Linda Carnuccia, a long-time Ocean City resident, spoke in favor of offering elective courses that include study of the Bible (both Old and New Testaments) as a way to teach history and civic foundations. She said Ocean City has historical Judeo-Christian roots and that teaching the Bible would help instill “family values and solid moral principles.”

A third speaker identifying himself as Nelson, "tribe of Asher," criticized public education content and spoke about constitutional issues and flags; his remarks were presented as personal claims and historical interpretation rather than board-endorsed facts.

Board members did not respond to public comments during the meeting. The comments were presented under the district's public-comment rules; the board advised speakers that matters involving litigation, students or personnel would be handled privately with the chief school administrator and are not discussed in public meetings.