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Parents and students press board on tutoring, discipline and communication during public comment
Summary
Public commenters asked the board to restore high-school tutoring, praised school events and raised a complaint about disciplinary handling and lack of response; the superintendent said he had been involved and that disciplinary records were adjusted.
Several community members used the public-comment period at the Dec. 19 Hillside Board of Education meeting to raise student-support requests, praise school activities and lodge a complaint about school discipline and district communication.
Megan Dorsonville, a senior at Hillside High School and a recent National Honor Society inductee, presented a petition “with over a hundred signatures” asking the board to restore tutoring at the high school. Dorsonville said tutoring has been an important support for AP and honors students. Superintendent Micheal Glover responded that tutoring “has not been stopped” and that sessions will resume once a few staff-side administrative tasks are completed.
Parent Ann Marie Cumberbatch told the board she had not received acknowledgement from district leadership for emails she said she had sent regarding disciplinary incidents involving her children; she also said one child was suspended and raised concerns about the district’s communication and use of punitive discipline. The parent alleged Child Protective Services appeared at her home after an anonymous call and said she had not received written follow-up. Her remarks were delivered during public comment and were repeatedly interrupted and cut short when the board chairman said her allotted time had expired. Cumberbatch identified herself and gave her address during the public comment period.
Superintendent Glover later addressed the public comment, saying he had been aware of the family’s case, that the school and superintendent’s office had been in communication with the parent, and that he had directed adjustments to some discipline records. He also said there were circumstances in that case that were not appropriate to discuss publicly and stressed the district did not ignore the family.
Other public commenters praised district events and supports: Sharina (or Sharina/Sharina Del Ross) praised recent school lunches, a winter dance in which students and families participated, a book-giveaway/reading incentive, and a Salvation Army toy drive that organizers said served 568 families. A teacher and a Parent-Teacher Association representative described Leader in Me lighthouse teams and other school activities that they said have increased student engagement.
Why it matters: Public comment highlighted two operational issues the board and superintendent can act on quickly — restoring high-school tutoring and improving written acknowledgement and responsiveness to parent concerns. It also gave the board positive, community-sourced feedback on school events and supports.
Follow-up: Superintendent Glover acknowledged the parent’s concerns and said the district had taken action in the case; he reiterated the district’s willingness to correct errors and asked the community not to assume the district had ignored the issues raised.
