Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public commenters urge mold remediation, fairness in PD spending and attention to staffing and device limits
Summary
During general public comment, speakers urged faster mold remediation at Little River Elementary, criticized the district's recent mandatory professional development event for cost and planning errors, pressed for higher classified‑staff pay and raised therapy vacancy concerns, and several parents endorsed limiting devices during the school day.
Several members of the public used the district’s general‑comment period to press the board on building conditions, professional‑development spending, classified pay and student device policies.
Katie McDonald said she discovered a mold‑covered hat belonging to her late sister in a school office and urged the district to follow through on remediation promises: "Relative humidity has not been addressed. I'm still sitting at 73%. I have mold in a closet that I reported in September," she said, and asked the board to invest in repairs rather than public appearances.
Paula Genuzi Godfrey, a longtime DPS employee, criticized a mandatory professional‑development event held Nov. 4 that staff described as costly and poorly planned. "I've yet to hear or see an apology or admission that this was not well thought out. It was, in fact, offensive, confusing, and hurtful to many DPS employees," she said, and asked for transparency about the event’s total cost and who authorized it.
Multiple speakers raised staffing concerns. Christy Clem, a physical therapist who works across schools, described wide inconsistencies in communication about whether staff could attend PD, and urged action on classified staff pay and recruitment. She said occupational and physical therapy vacancies remain high and that contractors are declining work because pay is uncompetitive.
On devices, parent Brian Schneiderman said Lakewood Montessori students started the year without daytime access to devices and praised the change: "It really does reduce their stress... they can focus on being kids and getting to know their fellow students." Several other commenters similarly urged stronger limits on device use during school hours.
Board members listened and directed staff to continue addressing remediation timelines, answer questions about PD spending and continue labor and recruitment conversations; staff said the district has a remediation timeline and the multilingual resource center can help families access plan information in other languages.
