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VoTech proponents and a school nurse press Berwick Area SD on upgrades and safety after lockdown incident
Summary
During the public-comment period, a representative of BIDA urged board support for VoTech upgrades and offered employer feedback; a district nurse described a student seizure risk during a simultaneous lockdown and fire drill and asked the board to change procedures.
At the public-comment portion of the meeting, community members urged the Berwick Area School District to back vocational-technical (VoTech) upgrades and raised student-safety concerns after a recent lockdown and fire-drill overlap.
Johnny Dennis, identifying himself as a semi-retired Berwick dentist and BIDA affiliate, told the board the business-development group would like to support the district and provide employer feedback for a proposed VoTech upgrade. "BIDA would like to support you and help you with your feedback from employers," Dennis said, and he distributed an informal comparative study and offered to arrange a conversation with Dr. Benner, who has overseen a similar Virginia program.
Policy clarification: Crystal Mikolaski of Nanticoke asked whether Policy 903 (G2) and Policy 006 limit comments to agenda items. Board members clarified that tonight’s session remained limited to agenda items only and that a pending policy change would create one public-comment period going forward.
Student-safety concern: Heidi Mears, a nurse who cares for a student with epilepsy, described an incident when a lockdown and a fire drill occurred at the same time. Mears said the combination of flashing lights and the lockdown almost caused a seizure and that a subsequent hotline report led to the student missing three weeks of school and regressing. "This started with a lockdown and a fire drill at the same time. He has epilepsy and which almost caused a seizure at that moment," Mears said, urging the board to adjust procedures (for example, reconsider simultaneous flashing alarms) to avoid triggering seizures.
Tensions: The public-comment period included an emotional exchange in which the speaker's three-minute time limit was enforced and an attendee at the meeting interjected toward the end of the session, shouting, "Take her out, sir," according to the transcript.
What’s next: The board did not record formal action on the VoTech materials or on the nurse’s request during this meeting. Items raised in public comment were entered into the record for potential follow-up by the administration or relevant committees.
