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, use third-party investigators if necessary, and follow up on prior climate reviews.

Several speakers cited turnover figures and petition activity. "It was also mentioned that 45 of those resignations were teachers," Matthews said, summarizing figures discussed at a prior meeting; she also referenced "103 staff members" leaving over three years. Another commenter, Beth Hoover of Berne Township, said she compiled a list of more than 100 former employees who left for reasons that she said differ from the explanations the board offered.

Former and retired staff described abrupt departures and weakened supports. Ginny F. Marchant, speaking as a retiree whose account was read aloud, said she had no meaningful exit interview and that the special-education caseloads and staff turnover left students without adequate support. "The turnover and inconsistency of administration of the special education department has caused much frustration and disappointment," a speaker who identified herself as Grant Miller said.

Speakers asked for concrete steps and made specific claims about program changes. Stephanie Gradus of Burn Township highlighted cuts and staffing changes in special education: she said the district currently has "27 classified under the emotional disability" category and described the elimination of a social-worker position after grant funding ended. Gradus also said the district replaced a full-time board-certified behavioral analyst with a contracted analyst working "just 9 hours a week," and that paraprofessional positions are often replaced with part-time roles without benefits and offered at $12.19 per hour compared with $15.56 for some other support staff.

Several commenters said exit interviews were inadequate or missing entirely and questioned whether resignation letters omitted specific workplace complaints for fear of retaliation. Joseph Brown summarized accounts he had collected from former employees and said many who left reported toxic conditions rather than the commute- or pay-related reasons the board had cited previously.

Board response and outcome: The meeting record shows the public comment period concluded and the board proceeded with the reorganization agenda. No formal investigation was launched, and the board did not adopt any motions at the meeting specifically directing staff to investigate the workplace-culture complaints. Several speakers urged the board to seek third-party data collection; the board did not indicate a decision on that request during this meeting.

Context and next steps: Commenters referenced prior requests for climate or third-party reviews and asked whether the results from a third-party evaluation conducted about two years earlier had been shared with current members. Speakers also urged the board to follow up with former employees directly and to publicize exit-interview findings. The reorganization meeting continued with officer elections and routine appointments after the public-comment period ended.