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 me worse tomorrow, grandma. Who do these kids have to go to?"

The meeting record shows district staff told Bowman they would follow up. A staff member offered to contact the school's principal and said a staff member named in the meeting would address the matter the next day and that board or staff would follow up with Bowman. The staff member also said they would provide information about extracurriculars the district offers to students with disabilities, including a unified bocce program supported by Special Olympics.

Why it matters: Bowman's remarks raise questions about daily accommodations for students with disabilities, staff follow-through on reported bullying, and access to supports such as one‑on‑one aides and inclusive extracurricular programs. Those issues affect the student's safety and ability to participate academically and socially.

Board context and next steps: At the meeting, Bowman asked that her grandson be shown how to use a keyed locker and that staff provide repeated, not one‑time, instruction. The staff member present said they would contact the principal and follow up with Bowman; the transcript records that district personnel planned a telephone follow‑up the next day and an offer to give the student a short tutorial on using the locker.

What the speaker said (selected): "Do you know how many he's went through leaving it in the classroom? Five of them. This is the sixth one," Bowman said when describing lost or damaged outerwear. She added that her grandson had made straight A's at Founders Hall but was "failing all their classes" at his current school and that "we gotta do better."

Background and community impact: Bowman identified the student as coming from Founders Hall and said the family had tried to seek assistance from teachers and school leaders without success. The district representative who spoke promised follow‑up and to connect with the Founders Hall principal if needed. The issues Bowman raised—physical accommodations (a keyed locker), repeated instruction on routines, bullying in the lunchroom and access to aides—are within the district's operational domain; the transcript does not record whether any formal request or referral (for example, an IEP meeting) was opened at the meeting.

Limitations: The transcript does not specify the student's name, grade level, the exact school building where the problems occurred beyond the reference to Founders Hall, or whether an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or documented 504 plan exists. The district's staff member committed to follow up but no formal board action was recorded at the Jan. 9 meeting.

Ending: Bowman said she will escalate the matter if she does not see results, including contacting the Pennsylvania Board of Education. District staff said they would follow up with the principal and with Bowman the next day.