Parent raises field-trip safety and staff-conduct concerns at Piedmont Community Charter meeting

Jasmine, a parent and child behavioral therapist, addressed the Piedmont Community Charter Board on April 21 to raise two safety concerns tied to middle-school field trips. She said her child experienced two bus breakdowns over the past two years, and described the most recent incident as especially serious: students did not get back to campus until after 8 p.m., arrived home roughly nine hours after lunch, and had no access to additional food during the delay.

Jasmine said communication during the incident was inadequate, and tied that partly to the school’s no-phone policy for students, which she said left families unable to receive direct updates from children. She also reported the trip cost about $100 per student and asked the board for clarity on how those funds are allocated and whether they fund transportation reliability or contingency measures.

She also raised concerns about staff conduct during prolonged or stressful events, saying she had been told students experienced raised voices, aggressive language and threats of punishment without clear cause. Jasmine said some students were required to sit in a field for an extended period with limited ability to move and were reprimanded when they moved. She urged the board to reinforce expectations around staff composure, student support and protocols for emergencies.

Board members did not offer a substantive response on the record beyond thanking her for bringing the issues forward and noting the board would receive the comment; no formal action or timetable to address the specific requests was announced during the meeting. The request for the board to review transportation reliability, contingency planning, communication protocols and staff conduct expectations remains an outstanding item from public comment.

The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for May 19, when follow-up information could be provided.