Parent says district failed to notify families before politically partnered event, urges consistent discipline

During the public‑forum portion of the Cumberland County Board of Education meeting, Tiffany Nazarcek, a parent of a Jack Britt High School student, told the board she was concerned about district communication and consistency after two recent incidents.

Nazarcek said a school event last month brought the U.S. secretary of education to Jack Britt in an event she described as partnered with Turning Point USA and another policy institute. She told the board parents received no advance notice. "Parents were not informed of the event or last month's event prior to it occurring," she said, adding that lack of notice "robbed some parents of the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with their students before they walked into an altered school environment."

Nazarcek also said students participated in a student‑led walkout protesting ICE’s treatment of immigrants and that, afterward, rumors circulated that participating students could face punishment. She contrasted the two situations: "So do we teach our kids civic duties, protecting our constitutional right, and speaking out for others, and then punish them for doing so?"

The board’s public‑comments procedures reminder, given earlier in the meeting, notes that the board typically does not respond during public forum and will take comments under advisement. No staff member or board member provided an on‑the‑record explanation or clarification during the public‑comment segment documented in the transcript.

The parent urged the board to update policy and communication practices so parents are notified in advance about outside partnerships or events with political or advocacy groups and asked for consistent disciplinary messaging. The transcript does not record a staff response, investigation or corrective action during the meeting; those outcomes were not documented in the public record of this meeting.

If the district issues a statement or policy clarification, it will address Nazarcek’s request for better advance notice and consistent enforcement of rules for student expression.

The public‑forum registration list for that meeting shows Tiffany Nazarcek as a registered speaker; the board’s public‑forum rules (read at the start of the segment) were also documented in the meeting transcript.