Flossmoor parent urges bilingual special‑education supports for child at Serena Hills

During the public comment period at the June 9 Flossmoor School District 161 Board of Education meeting, Maria Pimentel spoke about her son’s experience at Serena Hills, saying he has not received the special education help she expected and asking the district to provide bilingual staff to support Spanish‑speaking families.

“My son needs extra help,” Pimentel said. “One of the things that Serena Hills needs is somebody speak Spanish because most the families need bilingual.” She told the board her son had been doing better in pre‑K at Western prior to the pandemic and that his experience at Serena Hills has been “different.”

Pimentel said she had brought evaluations to school staff and asked for assistance, but that a teacher who was bilingual and supportive later left the position and her son’s services declined. She said she had spoken with school leaders and had not received satisfactory follow‑up and asked the superintendent to contact her to resolve the situation.

Board members responded during the meeting by offering to have the superintendent reach out; the meeting record shows the board agreed to follow up with Pimentel.

This comment was part of the public‑comment agenda item; no formal board action on the student’s services occurred during the meeting. The board did not make any immediate public decisions about reassignment of services during the session, but staff indicated follow‑up would occur.