During the public input portion of the meeting two commenters asked the board for clarity about volunteer screening and measures to prevent people with criminal histories from being allowed near students.

"I have a child in the school district who will be going to kindergarten next year… I need to know that my child is going to be safe in this school district," Megan Vanderland said, referencing reports she has seen in local outlets and social media about alleged predators in community locations. She said some incidents are under legal review and that she could not discuss details but pressed the board for steps to ensure student safety.

Tony Portore, who volunteers at Madison School and said he had to complete a background check, asked how an individual with multiple sets of charges was allowed near students. "I had to go through a background check… it doesn't make any sense to me how he was allowed to be around our children," Portore said. He told the board the person he referenced had multiple charges across several years and said he was concerned that existing safeguards failed.

Board members thanked the speakers for raising concerns and noted that specific personnel or criminal cases could not be discussed publicly during the meeting. The chair directed commenters toward the appropriate channels for formal complaints and said staff would follow policy for any personnel or safety investigations. No board action or policy change was made at the meeting; staff will handle any necessary follow-up within existing procedures.