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Parent raises safety and privacy concerns for new ASC special‑education programs; requests public work session
Summary
A parent testified that a new ASC program site lacks private diaper‑changing facilities, has a broken high‑low changing table, and contains blocked egress in some activities, and asked the Board to schedule a public work session to review ASC program outcomes, IEP/FAPE complaints and safety compliance.
A parent of an elementary student with significant medical needs raised safety and privacy concerns during public comment at the June 11 Kent School District meeting, requesting immediate board attention and a public work session.
The parent, Greta Nelson, said her non‑verbal child attends a new ASC (assessment/support center) special education program this school year and described three issues: diaper changes being performed in an open hallway that connects program spaces rather than a private area; a broken high‑low adult changing table that forces staff to lift or bend in unsafe ways; and blocked interior and exterior doors in a multipurpose room (she reported large classroom tables had been used to block egress during a combined music and P.E. activity). Nelson said those conditions create dignity, labor‑safety and fire code concerns and—given her child’s complex needs—pose significant risk.
Nelson asked for specific remedies: fix or replace the changing table, move changing to a private area, train staff on emergency protocols so exits remain clear, and schedule a public work session with a comprehensive presentation on special education concerns and the new ASC programs. She also requested publicly available data: the number of IEP or FAPE complaints or OSPI complaints tied to the new ASC programs and a comparison to prior program years.
Board and staff response: the public comment was placed into the record; during the meeting officials did not present a detailed staff reply on the record to Nelson’s specific requests, and the Board did not immediately set a public work session. The parent asked the Board to act promptly.
Ending: the submission asked for transparency and an expedited review; Nelson requested corrective steps for student privacy and safety and a public presentation on ASC program performance.
