Parents and advocates press board on special‑education incident, dyslexia support and Timnath TIF tax impacts

Multiple members of the public addressed the Poudre School District Board of Education at Tuesday’s meeting, raising concerns about the district’s handling of a disability‑related classroom incident, dyslexia supports and the impact of a Timnath tax‑increment financing (TIF) district on school revenues.

Disability‑related incident: A parent identified in public comment as Suzette Burrows (reading for her daughter, Alyssa Brown) alleged that a teacher who works with disabled students ignored an IEP and pressed criminal charges after a disability‑related episode. The parent said staff failed to call the assigned mentor, physically grabbed and cornered the student while the student was overwhelmed, and then filed charges after the student scratched the teacher’s hand in a panic response. The speaker characterized the district’s actions as discriminatory and said the family was retraumatized; she asserted the district violated the student’s rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The board did not offer a substantive public response during community comment; district officials did not make new statements about this incident during the meeting.

Dyslexia supports: Advocate Anna Lobeta, who said she has children with dyslexia, told the board that dyslexia remains under‑supported in the district and described urgent needs, including better identification and interventions for older students. She urged the board to treat dyslexia as a district priority and to continue conversations about targeted support models and the district’s role in scaling effective interventions.

Timnath TIF and school funding: Resident Kate Bedford urged the board to take action on tax‑increment financing (TIF) in Timnath, saying the Timnath Development Authority diverts property tax that otherwise would flow to schools and that the district should formally request negotiation with Timnath’s town council for rebate or compensation. Bedford said state backfill that currently covers lost school revenue could be at risk, and she asked the district to prepare arguments and a formal request because several years of diverted revenue remain.

Why it matters: The three comment themes raise operational and equity questions. The disability‑incident claim alleges potential failure to follow IEP protocols and possible ADA implications; the dyslexia comments reflect ongoing calls from families for expanded literacy supports; and TIF concerns point to multi‑year local revenue shifts that can affect district budgets.

What the board said: At the meeting the board listened and thanked speakers for appearing; board members later said they would receive materials sent to the board email. No board action or vote was taken on the specific items during the meeting.

Sources: Public comment at the May 13, 2025 board meeting (transcript of remarks by Suzette Burrows/Alyssa Brown, Anna Lobeta and Kate Bedford).