Parent voices: Village Elementary principal accused of misusing PTO funds; family raises long‑standing bus‑stop complaint

Speakers during the call to the public on Nov. 17 addressed two distinct concerns.

Accusation at Village Elementary: Melissa Wade told the board she believes the Village Elementary principal is "dishonest," alleging that Village families had given more than $120,000 to the district over four years with little accounting and that only after PTO pressure did parents receive a new playground last year. Wade raised safety and supervision concerns, including a past incident where doors were locked and the fire department intervened, and said her family moved a child out of Village because of the principal’s treatment. She closed by praising an individual third‑grade teacher as an example of strong staff performance.

Bus stop dispute: Michelle Walker Schaefer described a transportation issue she has pursued with staff for months. She said a longstanding bus stop her family had used for decades was removed this school year and that transportation staff told her the property was out of district; she supplied meeting dates and emails and asked the board to restore the original stop for the remainder of the year because the bus already passes the location and making the stop would cost no operational time.

Board response: Neither public comment resulted in immediate board action at the meeting. Trustees did not debate the allegations on the record during the meeting; public comment items were recorded and staff follow‑up (district administration or transportation staff) is the appropriate administrative channel for investigation and response.

Context and caution: The statements are allegations made during public comment and were not verified during the meeting. The board did not attempt to adjudicate claims during open public comment; district staff are the appropriate party to investigate and respond to personnel and safety issues.