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Parent tells Troy Area SD board the district is failing students with special needs, cites delayed incident notification
Summary
Parent Cody Sowers used public comment to describe repeated communication and special-education problems for his child, said a school delay in contacting him followed a reported incident, and urged better supports and transparency; board offered no immediate remedial vote.
During the public-comment portion of the work session, parent Cody Sowers told the board he has repeatedly struggled to get timely, meaningful responses about his child's special-education supports and school safety.
"My primary concern has become how the district interacts with those that may have more in-depth or ongoing concerns for student needs," Cody Sowers said, introducing himself as a parent of a student in the district. He described an incident his child reported to school staff and said the district did not contact him until several hours later, after what he characterized as an extended delay.
Sowers said a past superintendent told him in 2013 that "no student was currently receiving ELA instruction with fidelity," and told the board he had been told by the superintendent in January 2024 that his request for daily ELA assignments could be a concern because he had retained an attorney. He urged the district to make parent-facing supports more visible, to connect families with special-education resources in the intermediate unit, and to provide guidance about student privacy and social-media risks.
Sowers also cited assessment data, saying "nearly 60% of this county's students are not reading proficiently" according to last year's PSSAs; he framed that figure as a countywide context for the district's obligations. The board did not take policy action during the work session; the chair thanked Sowers for his remarks and the meeting moved on.
Why it matters: Sowers' comments raised procedural and communication concerns about special-education supports and incident notification. The district did not respond with immediate remedial action during the work session, so parents and board members may seek follow-up at a future meeting or via administrative channels.
