Grandmother urges McKeesport Area School District to provide lockers, aides and bullying supports for special‑needs student

Marcy Bowman, a McKeesport resident, told the McKeesport Area School District board at the Jan. 9 open agenda meeting that her autistic grandson is not receiving consistent supports at school and is being bullied. "My grandson has special needs. He needs a locker. He has one, but nobody wants to show him how to use it," Bowman said. She said the student cannot wear a winter coat at school because of a hood and has no secure place to store it, and that he has gone through multiple coats when left in classrooms.

Bowman said she has called multiple times about the situation and that teachers have not followed up. She said she has tried to secure an aide for her grandson since the beginning of the school year and described an episode when the student was temporarily misplaced and police searched for him. "He didn't have lunch all day yesterday because the bully took and crumbled up his pizza and he couldn't eat it," Bowman said. "He'll get…