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Parent urges transparency after reported middle‑school threat; superintendent responded to caller
Summary
A Cornwall parent told the board a sixth‑grade student made a gun threat at the middle school; the parent said the district did not apply its prior 5‑day mandatory suspension and asked for transparency about the safety decision and whether the student has an IEP. Interim Superintendent Argenio and staff followed up by phone, the parent said.
During the meeting’s opening public‑comment period, parent Angela Shapiro told the board she is concerned by a reported gun threat communicated last week by a sixth‑grade student at Cornwall Central Middle School. Shapiro said the incident was "not hypothetical" and that the district historically applied a 5‑day mandatory suspension for such threats but that the student in question was back in class the following day.
Shapiro said the mismatch between the seriousness of the allegation and the response has eroded trust among families and students and asked for greater transparency about the district’s safety decisions so families are not left "filling in the blanks." She asked whether the child has an IEP and why language in district policy about threats was not applied; she added that Superintendent Argenio called and responded promptly but that people remain left speculating.
The Board President acknowledged the comment and said the board will take the comment and return to it at a subsequent meeting rather than engage in cross‑dialogue during public comment. No disciplinary details or personnel actions were discussed in public; the board later moved into executive session to continue personnel matters.
