Parent urges district to follow physician DNR order so son can attend Gilbert High

At the meeting’s public comment period on Sept. 23, Susie Jackson urged the governing board to honor a physician’s do‑not‑resuscitate (DNR) order for her son and to allow him to attend Gilbert High School with his peers.

Jackson identified herself as a longtime public school advocate and said the law “does not obligate Gilbert to follow these orders,” but she asked the board to “do the right thing and choose to honor a physician’s order for a DNR.” She described prior inconsistent care for the student, including missed feedings during his sophomore year, and said those lapses amounted to roughly 72 missed feedings.

Jackson thanked Governing Board Member Blake Robison for discussing the matter with her and urged the board to ask questions and advocate for the student. “Kids like Rigo have been failed by the system their whole life. Be the leader you professed during your campaign and do the right thing now,” she said.

Board members did not take formal action during the meeting on the comment; Dr. Robison had previously spoken with Jackson while others asked for staff follow up. The district did not state a policy change at the meeting. Jackson asked that the board allow the student to attend Gilbert High and follow the physician’s orders; the board did not announce a decision on the request during the session.

The speaker asserted that the district had the authority to follow or decline such an order and that it had declined in this student’s case. The article does not assert whether the district has a written policy on DNR orders; any district obligation or direction would depend on law and district policy, and the board asked staff and members to review concerns raised during public comment.