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Parents and advocates tell Montgomery County school board bullying, mental-health and special-education supports are inadequate
Summary
Two public commenters urged the Montgomery County Board of Education to address student bullying, unmet behavioral and mental-health needs, gaps in special-education protections and board conduct tied to political conflicts of interest.
Two residents urged the Montgomery County Board of Education on Tuesday to act on bullying, student hunger, staffing shortages and gaps in special-education supports, saying current district practice and policy harms students and strains teachers.
"Are you for public schools or not?" Suzanne Albright Butler asked the board, citing roof leaks at Kenwood Middle School, students avoiding restrooms because of vaping and bullying, and teachers DoorDashing food to hungry students. "There is more than one member on this board who has made public transphobic comments, which affects the students and communities you were elected to serve," she said.
Butler, who identified herself as a fifth-generation Clarksville resident and the parent of three CMCSS students, urged the board to pass a rule preventing school-board members from holding two public elected positions concurrently.
Amanda Frost, a parent of three children with differing needs and a professional in behavioral intervention, said the district is failing students who need emotional and behavioral supports. "Too many students are being funneled out of classrooms for being disruptive when what they really need is regulation, redirection, and real support," Frost said. She called IEP and 504 protections "treated like paperwork and not lifelines" and said teachers and staff are burned out from carrying escalating needs without required training or resources.
Both speakers asked the board to prioritize policies and staffing that support inclusive classrooms and to enforce accountability. Frost warned that continued inaction will lead to more teacher turnover and repeated student harms: "If this board continues to look the other way ... you are responsible for the next injury, responsible for the next exclusion, responsible for the next teacher ... who walks away."
No formal action was taken during public comment. The board’s consent agenda and later business proceeded as scheduled.
The comments came during the public-conversation portion of the board meeting, where speakers are allotted time to address the board. Butler and Frost delivered detailed accounts of conditions at multiple schools and called for policy changes and stronger implementation of existing protections.
