Multiple parents, a long-time staff member and residents told the Evesham Township School District board during public comment that the district should pause or more fully review the automatic renewal of the "Yale" contract because of classroom and library disruptions at DeMacy Elementary.

At the start of public comment, an attendee said the contract renewal had been discussed in executive session and said teachers and parents were not asked for feedback before decisions were made. The commenter also said the district's tax levy has risen "25% year over year," and called for a cost–benefit review and broader community input before any renewal.

Kelly Broadbent, a DeMacy parent, urged the board to create a dedicated vice principal position at DeMacy Elementary, arguing that shared spaces and schedule conflicts caused by the Yale students have weakened school culture and teacher support. "DeMacy Elementary has a very real need for a dedicated vice principal," Broadbent said, and suggested using additional revenue from the Yale contract to fund the role.

Lisa August, a parent and PTA member, described makeshift middle‑school classrooms set up in the DeMacy library and said elementary students are frequently distracted. "Our students are being pushed out of their classrooms to the hallway floors to do critical things such as benchmarking," she said, and asked the board to explore relocating the program to another building.

Jennifer Yearley, who said she has worked in the district for 30 years (15 at DeMacy), described repeated staff turnover and the library's loss of functionality after space was repurposed. "It's not working," Yearley said of the current arrangement, adding that staff and students are experiencing ongoing disruption.

Erin McCluskey, a parent who said she formerly worked for Yale and now works with youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said she was told the agreement would be reviewed year to year and that teachers would have a say. She raised safety and capacity concerns — including a classroom she described as having a single means of egress and no windows — and asked the board to ensure equitable learning conditions.

Board members thanked speakers and said no formal decision was made at the meeting. Several board members said the district originally contracted with Yale when finances were precarious and that, with the district's improved position, the board will review whether to continue the arrangement. According to board remarks, staff will gather more information and the board hopes to have a formal decision or vote in December.

The board did not vote on the contract renewal at this meeting. Several speakers asked for clearer communication and for staff and teacher input before any decision is finalized.