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Parents and grandparents tell Tehachapi Unified board students are unsafe at middle school, urge faster investigations
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Summary
Two public commenters described repeated bullying and assaults at Tehachapi schools and urged the board to ensure investigations, documentation and action; the board noted dashboards on suspensions and expulsions and asked staff to follow up.
At the March 10 meeting of the Tehachapi Unified School District Governing Board, two members of the public urged trustees to address what they described as ongoing safety problems at district schools.
"I just need to survive this school year," said Marissa, speaking as a parent, who told the board she and other families fear for students’ safety at the district middle school and said repeated requests for information from district leadership have not resolved the concerns. She asked the board to ensure the district’s public commitment to safe campuses is reflected in consistent documentation and timely responses to serious incidents.
Deborah, a grandparent, described her grandchild’s repeated bullying and physical assaults and said investigations only began when parents demanded action. "Your website says the Olwis bullying prevention program was implemented district wide, yet we continue to see violence and assault," she said, asking whether the program is active and why parents must press for investigations.
Board President Kaminski responded that the district maintains dashboards for suspension and expulsion rates and said the board expects staff to act when serious incidents occur. Superintendent Bell and board staff were asked to provide parents with contact details and follow up with the families who raised concerns.
Why it matters: Callers presented detailed, personal accounts alleging delayed or inconsistent investigative responses and persistent safety risks at Tehachapi schools. The board’s acknowledgement — and the request that staff follow up — sets an expectation of further, district-level action or reporting back to trustees.
What’s next: Trustees did not take formal action on the safety concerns at the meeting. The president requested staff follow up with the speakers; any subsequent staff reports or policy changes would appear on a future agenda.
