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Parents press Guilford County Schools on denied bus stop appeals and special-education concerns during public comment
Summary
During public comment parents described denied transportation appeals under policy 6300 and raised concerns about special-education service delays, IEP backlogs and support for autistic students; the board directed staff to meet with at least one parent after the meeting.
Several parents used the public-comment period at the Nov. 12 Guilford County Schools board meeting to press the district on transportation appeals and special-education services.
Kelly Reed, a Dudley High School parent, said her tenth-grade daughter was denied a bus stop despite what Reed described as multiple safety hazards along the walking route. Reed asked the board to "please recognize your own policy, policy code 6300 — Students Transportation Services," and said she had provided documentation showing crime and multiple intersections that increase the student's risk walking to school. The chair asked staff to meet with Reed after the meeting.
Carla Franklin Richards, who identified herself as a parent of an autistic first grader and two other children, called for improved parent engagement and said she believes Guilford County Schools is "failing your autistic children" and students with dyslexia and dysgraphia, citing concerns about Individualized Education Program (IEP) backlogs and responsiveness. She said she founded a group called Moms of Color for School Choice and described her experience moving her own children to private school because she felt her concerns were not heard.
Other public commenters included Susan Tysinger, who thanked board member Michael Logan for his service and alleged past procedural irregularities in how Logan’s appointment was handled; a student speaker, JL Garvin, who praised public education and recent state election outcomes; and resident Bradley Davis Rogozinski, who proposed a data-collection plan to measure how many students walk or bike to school.
The board did not take immediate policy action during public comment but instructed staff to meet with at least one parent on transportation and reiterated that safety and IEP implementation remain ongoing priorities for district staff.
What’s next: Transportation appeals are handled administratively; the superintendent’s office and relevant staff signaled they would follow up with the parents who raised specific cases.
