Parents and residents raise building-safety and book-transparency concerns at Pinellas school board meeting

Several public speakers used the Sept. 9 meeting to press the Pinellas County School Board on two community concerns: an alleged unresolved mold problem that district staff said has kept a student out of a culinary classroom, and transparency about the district’s handling of removed books.

Deb Young, a parent, told the board her daughter — a senior and high-achieving culinary student at Tarpon Springs High School — has been unable to attend culinary class because, she said, the building is not safe. Young said she had contacted district officials and the school, and that she had been “stonewalled” while her daughter has missed class time. Young said the affected space (the Outback Room) also hosts community luncheons and therefore could affect older, vulnerable residents. She told the board her daughter has been sick several times this year and asked the district to provide a clearance report and allow students to return when it is safe.

The district acknowledged the public comment and said staff members had been in contact; district representatives did not present a full clearance report during the meeting. Superintendent Hendrick said he had been in touch with local Department of Health leaders and that nothing about mandatory vaccination law had changed; he did not provide a specific remediation timeline for the mold allegation in public remarks. Board members did not make a new directive during the meeting beyond assuring the speaker that staff had been involved.

Another member of the public, Nicole St. Leger, asked the district to be transparent about the status of books removed from school shelves. She asked whether removed books were being held pending appeals and urged the district to return books to shelves if a court decision requires it, arguing that withholding books restricts students’ academic access. St. Leger said returning books promptly would avoid replacement costs if a court later orders them back on shelves.

Why it matters: both issues — a possible facility hazard that affects instruction and community events, and the handling of materials removed from library collections — touch on operational transparency and student access to instruction and resources. Speakers asked for clearer public notice and more prompt resolution.

Next steps: the board did not take formal action at the meeting. District staff were identified as having been contacted about the building issue; the board said the district’s permitting and facilities processes apply. The public-comment speakers said they would continue to follow up with the district.