Sumner County school board declines to reinstate Westmoreland High special‑education assistant

The Sumner County School Board on June 17 considered — and rejected — a motion to reinstate a special‑education assistant position at Westmoreland High School and to allocate reserve funds to cover the role for the 2025–26 school year.

The board considered the item after the agenda was amended earlier in the meeting to add discussion of the Westmoreland position. Tina Stevenson, a Westmoreland parent, addressed the board during public comment, saying, “I am shocked by the no votes against my son and his peers' safety.” She described her son as a “behaviorally and medically complex multi handicapped student” who “must have a staff member within arm's reach,” and asked the board to restore the classroom’s third assistant.

Board members and district staff framed their remarks around two distinct lines of authority: (1) whether the board should create or fund a position and (2) whether staffing and individual personnel decisions are the responsibility of the director of schools and the IEP team. Board member Lacey argued the board should act to ensure classroom safety, saying he wanted “to be on the right side that ensures there's enough adult supervision to protect these kids.” Director of Schools (speaker identified in the meeting as the district director) described the district’s special‑education process and staffing approach, noting the district serves thousands of students with disabilities and that “these decisions on IEP staffing…are not made lightly.”

The board’s discussion included several recurring points: - Parents and some board members pressed for reinstating the third aide at Westmoreland, citing classroom safety and day‑to‑day supervision needs. Testimony at the meeting said last year the class had eight students with one teacher and three assistants; the district's published proposal for 2025–26 listed six students with one teacher and two assistants, and parents said three of those students require continuous, one‑to‑one supervision. - District staff explained that IEP teams (teachers, case managers, school administrators and district specialists) develop individualized staffing and that staffing decisions are ultimately made by the director of schools working with that team. - Board members raised procedural and policy questions about when the board should create or fund positions directly versus leaving individual staffing to the superintendent and school administration.

After several hours of public comment and board deliberation, the board voted on the motion to reinstate the Westmoreland High special‑education assistant and to allocate reserve funds for the 2025–26 school year. The motion failed on the board floor. Prior to that vote, the board had approved placing the item on the meeting agenda by roll call (the add‑to‑agenda motion carried 8–3). A separate procedural vote to end debate (“call the question”) passed 6–5 before the final vote on reinstatement.

The debate highlighted tensions between parents asking for immediate remedial staffing at a specific school and district leaders who described an ongoing, systemwide approach to special‑education staffing and IEP development. No further district action to fund or create the Westmoreland position was approved at the meeting.

Votes at a glance (selected formal actions recorded at the meeting): - Motion to add discussion/action regarding reinstatement of the Westmoreland High School special‑education (SPED) assistant to the agenda — Passed by roll call, 8–3 (added as new business item 3). - Motion to reinstate the Westmoreland High School SPED assistant and allocate reserve funds for the 2025–26 school year — Failed on the board floor after debate (final motion outcome: failed). - Procedural vote to end debate (call the question) on the Westmoreland item — Passed 6–5. - Consent agenda, minutes and multiple budget amendments — Approved (no extended debate noted for these items). - Lease agreement with Smith Travel — Approved (no extended debate noted).

What the meeting record shows - Parent testimony: Tina Stevenson detailed her son’s medical and behavioral needs and asked the board to restore staffing. She said, “I’m simply requesting the staff member who was fired to be rehired in our classroom to restore us to 3 assistants.” - District staff explanation: the director said the district considers IEP team input, student acuity and program needs when assigning staff, and noted the district serves thousands of special‑education students and uses specialists (autism consultants, BCBAs, therapists) in addition to classroom assistants. - Board dynamics: multiple members pressed for more information and for processes to assure safety; others cautioned that board involvement in individual staffing decisions crosses the district’s usual staffing authority and raised concerns about student privacy.

Looking ahead No immediate staffing change for Westmoreland High was authorized at the June 17 meeting. Parents and district staff can continue to request and convene IEP meetings under federal and state special‑education procedures. The board did not direct district staff to take a specific follow‑up action at the meeting; discussion and possible future requests to amend the budget or reinstate positions would return to the board through the district’s budgeting and staffing channels.

(Reporting based on the June 17, 2025 Sumner County School Board meeting transcript.)