Parents demand rehiring of Westmoreland High aide, urge Sumner County to fund ADA playground upgrades

Tina Stevenson, a parent of an 18‑year‑old student at Westmoreland High School, told Sumner County elected officials that recent staff reductions have left classrooms unsafe for students with complex disabilities and asked that a dismissed aide be rehired to restore a three‑assistant staffing model.

"Summer County, please do not remain deliberately indifferent to our community by actively ignoring our safety concerns," Stevenson said during the public‑comment period, listing her son’s diagnoses and the intensive, around‑the‑clock support his IEP requires.

The plea came alongside similar statements from other parents and caregivers who described years of daily care burdens, safety risks in classrooms when aides are reduced, and what they characterized as repeated denials of Extended School Year (ESY) services. Heather Broadway described her son’s improved engagement at Westmoreland and said removing the aide would undo progress: "If you don't have a special needs child, you don't understand what we go through every day," she said.

Why it matters: parents and advocates tied local staffing and playground conditions to legal obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and recent U.S. Supreme Court guidance they said lowers the standard for proving district indifference in special‑education disputes. Several speakers asked the school board and county to commit more money and quicker timelines for upgrades so that play areas and school sites are safe and accessible for students with IEPs.

School leadership and commissioners responded in public Q&A. Dr. Blackton, superintendent of Sumner County Schools, said special‑education staffing is managed with the district’s goal of equity across schools and acknowledged the difficulty of balancing individual needs and systemwide fairness. He described the district’s staffing process as one that tracks student IEP needs and noted the district continually adjusts placements when enrollments or student needs change. He also said the district had allocated $250,000 in next year’s capital budget as a starting point to address playground accessibility and that the district plans to prioritize sites currently serving students with mobility needs.

Superintendent's explanation and next steps: Dr. Blackton said the district will start accessibility work at schools where students with limited mobility are currently enrolled, pursue grants and corporate sponsorships to multiply local funds, and develop a multi‑year plan similar to past athletic‑facility projects. He emphasized that the $250,000 figure is an initial allocation and not a comprehensive solution: "We need to start with where we currently have kids and then work out," he said.

What parents asked for and specific requests recorded: commenters requested an immediate rehire of the aide at Westmoreland High School to restore a three‑assistant classroom for six CBC students (one head teacher, three assistants requested), explicit review and documentation of ESY denials for students with complex needs, and a dedicated capital budget of $1,500,000 to begin ADA playground upgrades (a figure repeatedly cited by speakers). Parents also urged restoration of public financial transparency around district reserves.

Documentation and legal references: speakers referenced the Americans with Disabilities Act and a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling they said affects school districts' obligations; the transcript did not include a formal case name. The superintendent and commissioners repeatedly described the need to balance individual IEP requirements with equitable staffing across the district.

Ending: Parents said they will continue to press the board for rehiring, ESY review and faster accessibility work; the superintendent said the district will begin prioritizing sites and seek outside funding but did not record a formal board decision on rehiring or additional immediate capital commitments.