Parents and teachers demand action as reports of repeated violent behavior at Ringing Rocks dominate Pottsgrove board meeting

Dozens of parents and staff used the Sept. 23 Pottsgrove School Board meeting to describe repeated, escalating disruptive and violent behaviors at Ringing Rocks Elementary and to demand immediate action, transparency and accountability from district leaders.

Speakers offered multiple, specific allegations: parents and teachers described students being hit, kicked, bitten, pushed, struck with objects, and teachers who required medical attention. Tina Capiello, who identified herself as a taxpayer and employee at the high school, said residents and staff were coping with broken HVAC systems and other facility needs but expressed alarm at repeated classroom violence, urging the district to prioritize student and staff safety over new facilities. "You also have safety things that are coming up later that people are gonna discuss that money needs to be spent on," she said.

Several parents described serious incidents. Kelly Tresdale said her six-year-old grandchild was struck in the head with a heavy bookend and required monitoring for concussion precautions; she said: "It was traumatizing enough for him to come home upset. ... My grandchild does not feel safe." Robert Biggio asked the board to "perform a thorough investigation into this matter to determine what, how, why, and who is responsible for the culture" at Ringing Rocks. Multiple speakers said teachers had been pressured not to report incidents to parents and that incident reports were not always filed.

Teachers and staff in the audience corroborated concerns. A teacher who identified herself as Brianna Robinson said staff have urged administrators for years to address behavior and had not seen adequate follow-through; another teacher said she had been attacked in the past and still experiences related injuries. Parents said classrooms had been evacuated, desks flipped and that some students were too frightened to attend.

Superintendent Dr. Finney acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns and described several recent and planned steps the district has taken: adding two special education teachers at Ringing Rocks, increasing the number of registered behavior technicians (RBTs), adding BCBAs (Board Certified Behavior Analysts), creating a new position to intervene with students exhibiting intense behaviors (currently filled by Karen Ottaviano), and contracting for additional mental-health supports. He said the district was already approving another RBT at the Sept. 23 meeting. He also said the district would meet internally after the meeting and aimed to report back to the community at the board's next meeting (scheduled Oct. 14), and that an executive session that evening would include personnel and safety discussion.

Parents and some board members pressed for faster, visible actions: callers asked for immediate increases in trained staff, clearer use of the handbook's discipline code, better transparency about incidents and consideration of an independent third-party investigation. One parent recommended suspensions for students who physically assault others, noting that IEP status does not preclude disciplinary action.

What the board said it would do: the superintendent and board members said they would meet immediately after the public portion of the meeting to develop action steps and would provide a report to the community at or before the Oct. 14 board meeting. The board also committed to follow-up meetings with individual parents who requested them, while cautioning that some responses required time to coordinate and that formal personnel matters might need to be handled in executive session.

The public record at the meeting includes parental accounts of injuries, teacher reports of being assaulted, statements that incident reports had not always been filed, and the board's pledge to return with action steps. Parents said they will continue to attend meetings until they are satisfied that staff and students are safe.

Note: the accounts reported at the meeting are the statements of parents and staff present and are summarized here as reported to the board; the district indicated it would continue investigations and follow-up steps.