Parents and former staff press Schuylkill Valley board over turnover, special-education cuts

At the Schuylkill Valley School District reorganization meeting on Dec. 3, 2024, multiple public commenters accused district leadership of a hostile workplace culture and urged the board of school directors to investigate high staff turnover and recent cuts to special-education supports.

The complaints, made during the public-comment portion of the meeting, came from former district employees, retirees and parents. "I left the district because of the culture, and the way myself and other teachers were treated," said Lauren Matthews, identified in the record as a former teacher and union president. "At the end of my 13 year tenure ... I had 24 hours to clean out my office under central administration supervision."

Why it matters: Commenters said the departures and staffing changes have direct effects on students, especially those with emotional and behavioral needs, and that board members have not done enough to investigate the causes. Speakers asked the board to obtain better data,…