Parents raise safety and program cuts during public forum; board pledges follow-up

During the meeting's public forum trustees heard several speakers: a Scarborough Elementary parent reported that her child was assaulted at school and urged the district to increase supervision and training, and a parent of Midland High students asked the board to reinstate the school's mariachi program.

At the start of public comment, a Scarborough Elementary parent said her daughter "was assaulted at school" and asked what the district would do beyond the existing investigation. The parent objected to characterizing the alleged perpetrator solely by special-education status and said, "It doesn't matter whether he was a special ed kid. Is he gonna get away with it tomorrow?" The superintendent, Dr. Howard, and board president responded that the district would follow legal processes and assigned staff to make contact: "If you will visit with Mr. Sadio right after this, he'll get your number and make sure that he sets up a time to visit with you and address any of the concerns," the board president said.

In another comment, Jana (Gianna) Serta, speaking for her daughter, asked the district to reinstate the Midland High mariachi program that parents said was cut and replaced with an introductory culinary class. She described students who had invested years in the mariachi track "being left in the dust" and urged the district to explore shared instructors or relocation to preserve the program for freshmen and sophomores.

Board members and the superintendent responded briefly on each item: Howard said the district is investigating the reported assault and would reach out to the parent, while trustees acknowledged the mariachi concerns and said they would relay them to relevant staff. Comments occurred during the public-forum agenda item and preceded routine consent items the board approved unanimously.