Parent and school volunteer urges immediate action on staff safety; superintendent acknowledges complex legal constraints

A community member and school volunteer, Paula Shivers, spoke during the meeting's public-participation period to urge the board and administration to take immediate steps to protect teachers and support staff from physical injuries she said occur while working with students.

"Our teachers are getting injured by students," Shivers said, describing bruises and other injuries she said she has observed and saying the problem appears across multiple elementary schools. She asked the district to "do something now" to keep staff safe.

Superintendent Dr. Trickett responded directly after the comment period, acknowledging the district's responsibility to educate all students while also trying to protect staff and noting the legal and operational complexities of meeting both responsibilities. "We are responsible for educating all children," Dr. Trickett said. "Sometimes that requires additional love and care and support ... but at the end of the day, that's our charge."

The superintendent said building-level staff should report incidents to principals and appropriate administrators so the district can document events and implement support or safety measures. He asked staff to continue raising concerns through supervisors so the district can review and adjust practices and supports.

No immediate board action was taken at the meeting; trustees thanked Shivers for speaking and asked administration to continue following up via established channels.