Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment Bullying Special Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents, advocates press board on bullying, special-education services and bilingual programming
Summary
Several parents and community groups urged the board to address bullying and physical aggression in elementary schools, called for better special-education implementation and translation of key documents, and urged expansion of dual-language programs.
Multiple speakers used the board—omment period to ask the San Ysidro School District to step up responses to reported bullying and to improve services for students with disabilities, and several parents urged the district to expand dual-language programming and provide translated materials for special-education meetings.
Karina Roman, speaking during public comment, told the board the district must act on reports of bullying and physical aggression that have spread across elementary schools. "This issue of our children should be the top priority, and it is clear that immediate action is required to ensure incidents like this are prevented in the future," she said. Roman said parents reported limited or ineffective responses from school principals and district staff.
Lisa Yeghen of the local nonprofit Viva United read remarks from Sarai Juarez, who described repeated delays in securing an IEP and said school records had not reflected her child's medical diagnosis despite documentation from clinicians and regional centers. Yeghen said staff had recommended only limited accommodations and described incidents she called disrespectful, including a child having food spat on and snacks taken away.
Advocates also urged the district to provide full translation of special-education documents and meeting materials. A speaker representing parents of English learners said individualized education documents and board materials are often not available in accessible languages and that parents need translated documents to participate meaningfully.
Several community members asked the board to expand dual-language programming. One parent advocating for a dual-language school framed the program as an equity issue and said families are collecting signatures in support of converting a site to a dual-language model.
Board and staff members acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns and directed staff to follow the chain-of-command complaint procedures; staff and board members also committed to follow up with site administrators. The public comments included requests for more timely responses to IEP and special-education evaluations and for the district to ensure school staff have access to students' medical documentation.
No formal board action was taken during public comment; several trustees urged parents to file written complaints through district procedures so staff can investigate and respond. The transcript records multiple calls for follow-up and for the district to make translation of critical documents a priority.
