Teachers and community members urge better support for staff, cite safety and negotiation concerns

During public comment the board heard several focused appeals related to staff safety, contract negotiations and transparency. Amy Gardepi, a special education teacher at Lowell Elementary, described recurring verbal and physical assaults she said she experiences at work and said staff feel unseen by the board. "I go home with bruises, scratches, headaches, and heartaches," she told the board, and said invited board members rarely visit classrooms.

Counselor Alan Bosley described a colleague’s position being cut with little notice after 13 years of service and urged the board to negotiate and resolve contract issues so staff can focus on supporting students. Retired teacher Tim Edinger asked the public to review the recently posted annual audit and argued that contract negotiations are personal to employees because contracts determine their ability to support families and retain quality staff.

A member of the public, Doug Kern, raised concerns about a school-board candidate and an alleged teacher role in a student walkout, saying he believed the protest was not purely student‑led. No on‑the‑record response to that allegation appears in the transcript.

Why it matters Public comments highlight persistent concerns about staff well‑being, transparency and labor negotiations—issues tied to the board’s budgeting and staffing decisions discussed later in the meeting. The board did not take action during the public‑comment period, but those themes reappeared in subsequent budget and personnel discussions.