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Parent says district-supplied transportation and deaf-education supports are inadequate for Marshall High student
Summary
A parent whose child attends Marshall High School as part of the district's Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) cluster described repeated late bus rides, lack of certified teachers of the deaf in core classes and concerns about construction-related safety. She asked trustees for immediate review and reliable transportation.
A parent told the Northside ISD Board of Trustees that her daughter, a deaf and hard-of-hearing student assigned to Marshall High School as part of a DHH cluster, has been arriving late to school under district-provided transportation and is not receiving classroom instruction from a certified teacher of the deaf.
Brian Groover, parent of Breslin Groover, said district transportation regularly takes more than an hour and a half to get the student to school despite having a single Marshall student assigned to the route. "NISD is failing my daughter," Groover told trustees, saying the family has been forced to drive the student to school since Sept. 3 to avoid chronic lateness and stress.
Groover said the student is supported in core courses by instructional aides, not by teachers certified in deaf education, and that those aides lack specialized training to modify assignments "in line with deaf education best practices." He said Breslin's grades have fallen; the family learned of low grades through the home access center rather than direct school contact.
Groover also raised health and safety questions about ongoing construction at the Marshall campus — specifically asbestos, radon and rodent exposure — and asked the district for transparency about protocols protecting students during renovation.
The family requested: an immediate review of DHH services and why no certified teacher of the deaf is in core classes as required for access; reliable transportation that does not require daily parental involvement; clear safety assurances about construction impacts at Marshall; and confirmation that only appropriately trained staff work with the student and that communication follows professional guidelines.
District staff told the board they would follow up with the family. No formal action was taken at the meeting; trustees directed staff to follow up with the speakers and to report back.
Why it matters: Students with sensory disabilities rely on specialized instruction and reliable transportation to access the full curriculum. The parent asserted that current arrangements were not meeting those needs and requested corrective measures.
Provenance: This article is based on public comment by Brian Groover during the Citizens to Be Heard section.
