Roosevelt Elementary draws mixed public comment as staff letters of support collide with parent safety complaint

Public comment at the Port Angeles School District Board of Directors meeting included multiple letters of support for Roosevelt Elementary Principal Madeline Kendall and an emotional parent complaint alleging unresolved bullying and asking why “policy trump[s] student safety.” The board acknowledged receipt of a complaint and said an investigation was opened.

Board members read or summarized supportive letters from staff and community members praising Kendall’s leadership, communication and problem‑solving; one packet the board reported reading into the record included 44 signatures in support of the principal. Staff speakers at the meeting described collaborative approaches to discipline, restorative practices and school climate work and urged the board to consider the perspectives of employees who said morale and retention have improved.

A parent who identified herself as Sarah (address on record) used her public‑comment time to say she was “ashamed” of the district for how her child’s concerns were handled and asked, “When did policy trump student safety?” She said repeated requests for clarity about consequences and steps to change another student’s behavior went unanswered and that she filed a complaint to prompt an investigation. Another parent described a technical failure in scholarship notebook submission and urged procedural fixes to avoid disadvantaging students.

Several other speakers — including school staff who said they had worked closely with Kendall — told the board they had firsthand experience of the principal addressing student behavior and supporting staff through difficult conversations. One speaker who identified as a counselor said staff had asked to expand behavior interventions and that the principal had invited staff to join problem‑solving teams.

Board and district staff said public comment letters and the complaint were entered into the public record and that the district has procedures for investigating complaints that involve personnel or student safety. The board did not take immediate personnel action during the meeting; trustees asked administrative staff to follow the district’s investigatory process and to report back to the board in accordance with confidentiality rules and legal constraints.

The exchange highlighted a divided public record: numerous staff and community letters in support of the principal circulated to the board, while at least one parent urged the board to take stronger, more transparent action on student safety concerns. The district did not provide details of findings during the meeting and said any investigatory outcomes would be reported consistent with applicable district policies and privacy law.