Parents and community members press Rockford board on suicide-response protocols and criticize bond outcome; superintendent pledges follow-up
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Summary
Public commenters alleged a failure to follow required suicide-response procedures in a student case, urged mandatory training and an action plan, and other speakers proposed volunteer reading programs and criticized bond planning; Superintendent Matthews said the district has responded and will follow up and accepted responsibility for the failed bond.
Multiple members of the public used the meeting's comment period to press the Rockford Public Schools board on student safety and district priorities.
Jamie Williams told the board a student disclosed suicidal thoughts and, she alleged, "the adults responsible for their safety did not follow the most basic steps required under district policy and Michigan law." Williams asked for an explanation of what happened, mandatory threat-assessment and suicide-response training for all staff, an action plan to guarantee immediate assessments when students disclose suicidal ideation, and a commitment that future disclosures will not be ignored. The board did not debate or respond during the public-comment period; Superintendent Dr. Matthews later said Ms. Williams had contacted district staff and that the district had responded and would follow up with her to ensure the student received support.
Other public comments included Jonathan Miner's support for a volunteer "Rockford Reads" program and Michelle Kind's offer of nearly 30 volunteers and a proposal that the district adopt a 90% third-grade literacy goal (M-STEP) within five years and report quarterly. Deborah Novak reflected on the failed bond and urged broader community involvement in planning future requests. Dwayne Gritter criticized the board for giving the superintendent the highest possible evaluation despite the bond defeat and accused the board of lacking transparency and restrictive policies.
Superintendent response: In remarks after public comment, Dr. Matthews thanked the community and said mental health is a high priority; he confirmed staff had communicated with Ms. Williams and pledged follow-up. He said the district will re-engage community outreach following the unsuccessful bond campaign, acknowledged that the bond "was not a positive outcome," and said he takes responsibility while noting other positive indicators such as audit results and student achievement reports.
Why it matters: the comment about an alleged failure to follow suicide-response protocols raises questions about implementation of required procedures and staff training. Several commenters also framed the bond defeat as evidence of community disconnect and called for better engagement in future capital planning.
Next steps: Superintendent Matthews said staff will follow up with Ms. Williams and the district will pursue renewed community outreach about capital planning; board committees are scheduled to continue policy discussion at the January meeting.