Parents and students urge Osceola board to address ESE staffing, dress‑code costs and ICE procedures
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Summary
During public comment, parents and students described safety and staffing strains tied to recent ESE inclusion changes, a student petition of about 2,400 signatures urged dress‑code revisions citing cost pressures, and several residents asked the district to clarify school procedures and staff guidance if ICE agents appear on campuses.
Public comment at the Nov. 18 Osceola County School Board meeting focused on special‑education inclusion and staffing, the financial burden of the district dress code on low‑income families, and concerns about immigration enforcement near schools.
Jacqueline Cruz, a parent and PTO volunteer, told the board that recent ESE inclusion changes had resulted in students moved from specialized classrooms into general education without consistent supports. Cruz said administrators and coaches are frequently pulled from instruction, that her school lost a counselor and dean after falling below a 900‑student threshold, and that a $38,000 budget cut eliminated a PE paraprofessional. She described intense behaviors — "hitting, kicking, eloping, screaming, tantrums, even classroom destruction" — and said her child’s classroom had to be evacuated last month despite one‑on‑one support. "No child should feel unsafe at school," Cruz said.
Janet Moody, president of the Osceola County Education Association, reported that union members voted to continue OCEA as bargaining agent (99% and 97% tallies reported for instructional and ESP units in Tallahassee) and highlighted recent community outreach including distribution of 10,000 books and certification of 75 teachers/ESPs in CPR and first aid.
Sophia Parramatta, a Liberty High School sophomore, described organizing a petition on dress code that she said collected about 2,400 signatures. She argued uniforms impose costs on families — citing local poverty and ALICE thresholds — and urged the board to amend the dress code to reduce financial strain and protect student well‑being.
Several speakers urged the board to review a district memo about interviews and arrests of students by government officials and to clarify staff procedures and students’ rights if ICE agents come to a campus. Zaida Gomez Santana said families are scared that ICE could "take kids out of school," and Lisandra Bonilla specifically requested a review of the March memo and clearer guidance, including 'know your rights' resources. Michelle Dela Cruz of Florida Rising said organizers had been promised a meeting with the board chair to discuss student safety.
Board members did not debate new policy action during public comment, but pledged follow‑up as appropriate through staff. The board’s formal agenda continued with attorney reports and committee business after public comment concluded.