Parents tell Irvine Unified board students fear using restrooms and recess at College Park Elementary

Several parents told the Irvine Unified School District board that children at College Park Elementary have been left frightened and that classroom and campus routines have been disrupted by repeated behavioral incidents involving students enrolled in the district's specialized behavioral program. The parents urged the board to change practices to protect the physical and emotional safety of general-education students while preserving services for students with higher needs.

"My son said at times he is fearful to use the restroom in case there is a student from the BESAC program who is physical and could tackle him in there," parent Caroline Kim said during public comment, describing multiple bathroom closures and hallway lockdowns that she said have interrupted instruction and normal transitions.

Other parents offered eyewitness accounts. Ariel Lin said an encounter last September left her shaken after a child in the behavioral program collided with her and struck her abdomen. "I wasn't expecting that," Lin said, noting she ultimately reported the incident to the school.

Janelle, a volunteer, recounted two episodes in which staff used a hands-off approach while a student became enraged and struck or chased other children, forcing classmates to evacuate or cancel scheduled activities such as library time. Brenda, another regular volunteer, described a separate incident in the office where staff restrained one student while another tried to force the door.

Board rules limit what trustees can say in response during public comment. Chair warned that under the Brown Act the board cannot directly respond to non-agendized public comments, but trustees and administrators later addressed the table. Trustee Cyril Yu acknowledged the seriousness of the reports and thanked parents for speaking, saying the district understands these are "very challenging" classrooms and that the administration takes the concerns seriously.

District officials and board members repeatedly framed the issue as balancing needs: children enrolled in the district's specialized program require support and safety, but parents said they want clearer plans to prevent other students from feeling unsafe or losing instructional time.

No formal motion or directive was made on the record during the meeting. Trustees said they had heard the testimony and would take the feedback into account; the meeting record does not show an immediate follow-up assignment or timeline for a staff report.

What happened next: The board continued its agenda after the public comment period; there was no vote or formal resolution recorded in the meeting minutes about College Park Elementary during this session.

Why this matters: The parents' accounts, if representative of ongoing incidents, implicate daily learning time and campus safety for general-education students while also touching on how districts balance individualized supports for students with behavioral needs. The district said it values both student groups and called the concerns "heard" on the record.