Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents press Batavia USD 101 board on bullying response, ask for temperature guidelines for recess
Summary
Three public commenters urged the Batavia USD 101 Board to strengthen bullying interventions and to adopt explicit recess-temperature guidance after accounts of bullying and concerns about students outside in extreme cold.
Three residents urged the Batavia USD 101 Board of Education on Jan. 21 to adopt clearer policies to protect student mental health and to set explicit temperature guidelines for outdoor recess.
Laura Heffley, speaking as a parent and community member, described incidents she said amounted to persistent bullying and described one family that sought a restraining order after a threat. She said she has discussed the cases with district staff and called for “full transparency” about “prompt and meaningful conversations, interventions, and reform for zero-tolerance anti-bullying policies to keep our children safe in our Batavia schools.”
Molly Connolly, a Batavia parent, former park district commissioner and business owner, said both of her children have experienced bullying and physical violence over four years and urged the district to implement “better policy and training” and to accept volunteers and community help to improve student safety. She said she is working with the dean of students and expects follow-up from the district.
Josette Mobley raised concerns about outdoor recess policy after her kindergartner remained outside for two recesses in near-zero weather. She told the board she was informed by a principal that Batavia principals follow “above 0 degrees” as the threshold; Mobley said Illinois has no state regulation but that many nearby districts use wind-chill or temperature cutoffs — she cited Orland Park (below 20), Chicago (below 15), Plainfield (below 20) and Bartlett and Warrenville (35) as examples — and asked Batavia to adopt clearer guidance that accounts for wind chill, frostbite risk and illness spread.
Board and staff members primarily noted procedure for public comment and said staff would follow up as appropriate. Holly Dietchman, the district communications director, explained the sign-up and timing process for public speakers and directed residents to administrative channels for follow-up.
