Parents press Coos Bay School District on safety; a parent urges reinstatement of library assistant

Several public commenters used the board’s public-comment period to raise student-safety and staffing concerns. Andrea Coleman identified herself and asked the district to reinstate a high-school library clerk assistant she said was recently eliminated, arguing that the assistant (named Gracie Jensen in her remarks) enables librarian Catherine Hampton to run programs including Oregon Battle of the Books and other student supports and that removing the role would harm students’ extracurricular reading opportunities.

During the same public-comment block, Megan Vanderlyn (who said she has a child entering kindergarten) said she is worried about people “being allowed in our community and in our schools,” referenced complaints circulating online and local media, and asked the board what steps will be taken to keep children safe. Volunteer Tony Portor said he works at Madison School and described undergoing a background check, and he questioned how a man with multiple charges was permitted to be near children. Portor said volunteers are screened and asked for clarification on how the alleged incident occurred.

Board members acknowledged the comments but did not make new, immediate policy pronouncements during the public-comment period recorded in the transcript. The statements are framed as requests and concerns from members of the public; the transcript does not contain a district response that resolves the allegations or names the person at issue. The trustees indicated they would direct concerns to the appropriate staff or process but no formal district action (for example, a new policy or an investigative finding) was recorded in the meeting minutes.