Parents and staff urge Evesham board to reconsider Yale contract renewal, citing space, transparency and safety concerns

Several parents, teachers and staff told the Evesham Township School District Board of Education on Monday that a contract renewal with a program referred to in testimony as “Yale” has squeezed DeMacy Elementary’s classroom and library space and was approved without adequate teacher and parent input. The public commenters said the arrangement has prompted staff departures and created inequitable learning conditions for elementary students.

In public comment, one attendee said the Yale contract renewal was discussed in executive session and argued the district should perform a cost–benefit analysis before renewing: “Now that the tax school district levy has increased 25% year over year ... this should not be a purely financial situation,” the speaker said, calling for more transparency and feedback from teachers. The speaker requested that the board solicit input before decisions are finalized.

Kelly Broadbent, a DeMacy parent, said DeMacy Elementary needs a dedicated vice principal and suggested revenue generated by the Yale contract could fund the position. "DeMacy Elementary is not just another wing of the building. It's its own school with its own challenges and identity," Broadbent said, and described shared-space disruptions, teacher overload and loss of library programming.

Lisa August, a parent and PTA member, detailed instructional disruptions caused by middle-school classes held in the DeMacy library. She said elementary classes have been displaced and that shared spaces with high ceilings allow sound to carry across activities: “My daughter has her Spanish class in there ... the elementary kids who are having library class at the same time ... are so loud, it's so distracting,” August said.

Jennifer Yearley, a longtime DeMacy staff member, said her building had repeatedly lost staff over the years and cited the departure of librarian Casey Shafer as a turning point: "Her library has become ... it's not a library," Yearley said, linking inadequate space and respect for the position to the staff turnover.

Erin McCluskey, a parent and former Yale employee who works with IDD youth, said families and teachers were told the contract would be reviewed year to year and that adequate time would be provided for discussion. McCluskey raised safety and equity concerns, saying some temporary classrooms have only one means of egress and that some fourth‑grade classrooms had 20 students with no windows.

Board members responded that no final decision had been made. Multiple trustees said the matter remains under review and that the board expects to have information and a possible vote or decision in December. A board representative urged members of the public to meet with the superintendent after the meeting for matters that should not be aired in public comment (litigation, personnel or negotiations).

The board did not vote on the Yale contract at this meeting. Public commenters requested more transparency, teacher and parent input, dedicated administrative staffing for DeMacy Elementary and consideration of facility changes to reduce disruption.

What happens next: Board members said they plan to gather additional information before any final action and indicated the district faces a procedural deadline in December to inform parties about the contract decision.