Dozens of parents, students and residents packed the Haddon Township High School meeting May 15 to press the Board of Education to keep the district’s neighborhood elementary schools and to urge the board not to remove student assistance counselor Morgan McDonald.

The comments came during the public-comment portion of the board’s regular meeting and were led by parents and current high-school students who said neighborhood, K–5 schools foster volunteerism, safety and social connections that would be lost under the grade-level reconfiguration being discussed in work sessions.

“Please protect that culture. Keep Edison and every neighborhood school intact,” said Natalie Eds, identifying herself as a resident of 417 Maple Avenue. Eds said her family’s ties to their school, and the volunteer support it generated, would be difficult to replicate under a centralized model.

Students and former student representatives delivered extended testimony in support of Morgan McDonald, the district’s student assistance counselor. Joseph Sheehan and Mara Moshek were recognized earlier in the meeting with resolutions for their service. During public comment, several students described McDonald’s office as a “safe space” and credited her with providing emotional support and crisis intervention to peers.

“Miss McDonald stood up for me when I had no backbone for myself,” said Dominic Thompson McQueen Jr., who identified himself as a Haddon Township resident, describing a personal episode in which McDonald intervened and helped de-escalate a conflict. Henry Mamba, who identified himself as a student, said McDonald “created a space … where I can go and feel accepted.”

Other student speakers, including Kai Brown, Sofia Maroney and Tessa Darby, described mental-health and mentoring support they said they received from McDonald and warned that removing her would remove a critical resource for vulnerable students.

Several parents and teachers also addressed the board on the reconfiguration topic. Megan Correa, an AP physics teacher and parent, asked whether updated transportation and demographic studies have been completed given the district began these conversations five years ago. Stephanie DeAngelis, another parent, said neighborhood schools provide stability and social development that would be lost if students were moved between grade-level centers.

Board President and Superintendent remarks at the meeting emphasized that the board’s work sessions on school configuration are ongoing and that no decisions have been made. Superintendent Dr. Bizzicaro said the board would continue the planning process this summer and that the work sessions are public. “There’s certainly nothing decided,” he said, adding that the board will continue to seek transparency and stakeholder involvement.

Ending: The board did not take action at the meeting to change school configurations or to announce personnel actions regarding McDonald. Speakers encouraged continued community engagement and participation in upcoming work sessions and meetings.