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Parents at Poway Unified raise safety and transparency concerns over Tierra Bonita TK
Summary
Multiple Tierra Bonita parents accused the district of failing to adequately investigate and inform families about alleged inappropriate physical interactions in a transitional kindergarten classroom, calling for personnel changes and clearer procedures.
At least a dozen community members used public comment at the Oct. 10 Poway Unified School District Board meeting to raise safety, transparency and communication concerns about recent events at Tierra Bonita Elementary School's transitional kindergarten (TK) classroom.
Julia Fontana, a mother who said she had submitted nine "red flags" to district leadership, asked why a TK teacher had not been placed on leave after allegations that the teacher grabbed a student by the arm and forced the child into a chair. "This is inappropriate teacher to student behavior," Fontana said, asking why parents and students had not been interviewed as part of the investigation. Amanda Cosmo said district communications — including an email after a Sept. 26 sheriff presence on campus — were "cryptic, vague, and crafted to placate parents," and that she had kept her child home for two weeks because she did not trust the school to keep students safe.
Other parents described behavioral regression in their children after entering TK, the financial cost of removing children from the program (one speaker estimated $10,000 to pay for full-time preschool as an alternative), and concerns that families of named students were never notified. Citing what she called an inadequate internal investigation, Jessica Frazier said, "Our kids deserve to learn in a safe environment free from intimidation and fear." Sarani Rodriguez, speaking with an interpreter, also alleged her 4-year-old returned from school dehydrated after being denied water on two occasions and raised concerns about language or racial bias in being heard.
Speakers called on the board and district leadership to take action including removing staff or opening a second TK classroom staffed by experienced personnel so students can return to a safe environment. The district's publicly stated position, as summarized by parents at the meeting, was that the matter had been determined to be noncriminal and that a sheriff's and district investigation had been completed; several parents disputed whether a thorough investigation had occurred and said they were not notified.
Board members acknowledged parents' concerns during reports and said communication was a priority; no open-session personnel action was recorded on Oct. 10. The parents' statements remain public-record concerns presented during the board's public comment period.
