Parents urge a district point of contact for PTA-led programs; commenter raises teacher-pay and House Bill 32 concerns

During the public-comment portion of the Jan. 13 meeting, Phaedra Carson Foster, a parent and PTA representative, urged the district to designate a consistent central-office point of contact to coordinate PTA-led programs so families and volunteers receive timely communication and can partner with the district effectively.

"I'm requesting that the district designate a consistent point of contact within central office to coordinate PTA led initiatives that align with district policy and state directives so that families and volunteers who show up are met with timely communication and meaningful partnership," Phaedra Carson Foster said.

Foster noted the PTA recently received a national PTA 'Vape-Free Futures' challenge grant that requires monthly training and reporting, and she said she had not yet received a response after sharing award information with the office of student support services.

A second commenter introduced in the transcript as 'Mister Allen Bridal' (speaker identification in the record is inconsistent) raised concerns about student engagement, cited local polling claiming students leave Montgomery after graduation, and asked about House Bill 32 and whether the district will implement provisions that commenters say affect teacher pay beginning Aug. 1. The speaker also described long stretches without paychecks for some educators and asked whether the district would provide feedback on the bill and on teacher-pay implementation.

Board officials acknowledged the requests and directed staff to provide appropriate follow-up; the public-comment rules read earlier in the meeting require prior written registration for speakers and limit comments to three minutes.