Multiple teachers, paraprofessionals and parents used the public-comment period at the Jan. 9 School Committee meeting to describe staffing shortages, classroom coverage problems and escalating student behavior at JFK (the district's middle school), and to urge the committee to address funding shortfalls.

Sarah Churchill Windsor, a 17-year special-education educator at JFK, said staffing reductions and the resulting coverage demands are stretching staff and reducing service delivery. "Having said all that, it's important to know that we are in distress," Windsor told the committee, describing administrators and paraprofessionals covering lunches and classes so students continue to receive instruction.

Marissa Wallace, a paraprofessional with two decades' experience in special education, said she has recently been pulled away from her assigned student for multiple days to cover other positions and that lack of paras means students "are not getting the support that they need." Wallace added that some staff "walk away at the end of the day feeling like we are falling woefully short because we don't have enough staff."

Parent Tish Serani described withdrawing her 13-year-old daughter from JFK because of repeated fights and chaotic classroom environments. "JFK is not safe," Serani said on the Zoom call, recounting repeated fights and classroom evacuations she said occurred while her daughter was enrolled. Serani said she expects the district to fund appropriate special-education supports and, if necessary, private placement costs that follow from unmet needs.

Other commenters echoed concerns about teacher retention, coverage stress, lost prep time and reduced elective and specialty-class access as the district operates with reduced staffing. Several speakers tied current conditions to last year's budget cuts and urged the committee to prioritize restoring positions.

Committee members acknowledged the testimony and later raised the issue in their own business: Member Michael Stein urged the council to schedule a discussion at the next meeting on potential supplemental appropriations to address immediate staffing shortfalls, saying: "We can't let this go on." The superintendent and finance director reported they are working on next year's budget and noted a recent $40,000 appropriation intended to create Bridge Street School positions that will be rolled into the district base.

Public comment is the portion of committee meetings where residents speak on matters of interest; speakers noted that written comment is accepted by email when they cannot attend.