Citizens present petition asking board to amend bullying policy; commenters press for transparency and records
Summary
A citizens’ petition asking the board to amend policy JFLC to address bullying was submitted during public comment; multiple parents urged clearer reporting processes, better access to records and stronger anti‑bullying measures.
During the public‑comment portion of the Oct. 13 meeting, Citizens of Rock Springs submitted a formal petition asking the board to amend Policy JFLC to strengthen definitions, reporting requirements, consequences and victim protections for bullying incidents.
Laura McGee, representing Citizens of Rock Springs, told the board she was filing a petition under the statute she cited and asked the board to add clear definitions, reporting timelines, consequences for offenders and protections for victims. McGee asked for a community workshop to involve parents in the process and handed materials to the superintendent.
Several other parents and community members used public comment to raise related concerns: requests for clearer, timely responses to complaints; complaints that some public records requests (for curriculum materials and contracts) were costly to obtain; and calls for stronger training, hazing policy enforcement and more transparent personnel records and contract information.
Superintendent Dr. Libby responded during the board’s “response to previous public comment” item, noting that the district already maintains a hazing policy (JFC) and that personnel or student privacy limits (FERPA) prevent public discussion of individual student matters in an open forum. He asked anyone with outstanding questions to email the district so staff could route them to the appropriate department for a confidential response.
Trustees and several parents also discussed concerns about technology and phone policies in schools; commenters urged faster board action and clearer two‑way communication. The board said the questions will be routed to administrators and that some topics may require closed‑session review when personnel matters are involved.
The petition and several written comments were accepted for the record; board members said they will consider next steps and that some matters may be handled through administrative channels or placed on a future workshop agenda for broader community engagement.
