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Resident urges board to clarify Lincoln Center Academy status and prioritize DEI position
Summary
During public comment at the Dec. 3 meeting, resident Laurie Shannon Bailey told the board that Lincoln Center Academy is not a certified alternative school, raised concerns about large charter school payments and urged the district to prioritize a diversity, equity and inclusion position.
Laurie Shannon Bailey, a resident, addressed the Coatesville Area School Board during the Dec. 3 public-comment period and urged the board to remind parents and guardians that Lincoln Center Academy is not a certified alternative school. "Unless something has changed, I've asked you all in the past, and I'm gonna ask you again to remind, parents and guardians that the Lincoln Center Academy is not a certified alternative school," Bailey said.
Bailey raised concerns about the district's bills list, saying one line item she identified as for Lincoln Center Academy was $164,600 and calling that "a lot of our tax dollars." She also noted substantial charter school payments listed on the bills list and named Advent Grove Charter School and Insight Charter School as large payments in the list presented to the board.
Bailey discussed broader concerns about equity and systemic racism, referencing earlier meetings between the NAACP and district leadership in 2017 and 2018 and saying those talks "ended up nowhere." She urged the board to make a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) position a top priority: "I'm not sure what you all have decided about that position, but please make that a top priority as we move into 2025," Bailey said. She concluded public comment by saying she would continue to hold the board accountable.
Board members noted the board's public-comment rules, including a three-minute limit per speaker and that items not on the agenda are not discussed during that portion of the meeting. No formal action on Lincoln Center Academy, charter payments or the DEI position was recorded on the meeting agenda; the transcript shows the matters were raised during public comment and flagged for board attention.
The district also announced upcoming community events and concerts, and board members encouraged community attendance at school music performances in December and January.
