Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Safety And Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parent urges Mishawaka schools to adopt clearer post-injury plans after daughter's severe field-trip injury
Summary
At the Dec. 4 board meeting, parent Danielle Nicole described her 13-year-old daughter's multiple surgeries after a February 2023 field-trip knee injury and asked the board to adopt individualized health support plans, designate a family point of contact, improve mental-health access, and strengthen emergency protocols and communication with families.
Danielle Nicole told the School City of Mishawaka Board of School Trustees on Dec. 4 that her daughter, Mackenzie, suffered severe knee injuries during a February 2023 school field trip and that the family experienced ongoing gaps in school response, communication and supports.
Nicole recounted that Mackenzie, then 13, sustained what medical professionals later determined were complex knee injuries. She said she was not notified by the school or the trip provider on the day of the injury and that her daughter went days before receiving medical attention. "I never got a call that my daughter got hurt," Nicole said during public comment, describing delayed notification and what she called inadequate on-site care.
Nicole described multiple surgeries and extended rehabilitation (noting dates of surgeries and follow-up care in her remarks) and said the injury has had long-term effects on her daughter—s mobility, academics and social life. She asked the board to review and revise district policies to address several specific areas: adopt comprehensive individualized health support plans separate from IEPs, designate a single staff point of contact to coordinate care and communications with families after an injury, expand access to counseling for injured students who face isolation and anxiety, and review emergency protocols and safety procedures for field trips.
Nicole offered the board packets with proposed policy language and highlighted specific communication failures she encountered while attempting to get the district to act. She urged the board to adopt proactive policy changes "so no student or family faces similar struggles without the proper care and support in place."
Board members did not take an immediate vote or action during the meeting on Nicole—s requests; Nicole said she could provide contact information and follow up with administrators. The speaker identified specific examples of in-school incidents after the return from surgery and requested a public policy review to clarify notification practices and on-site emergency responses.
What happens next: Nicole said she provided policy packets to the board and looks to district staff for follow-up. The board did not announce an immediate timeline for responding to the public comment during the meeting.
