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Public commenters urge religious neutrality and warn of IB cuts amid class-size rule
Summary
During public comment, Pam Pushaw urged the board against policies she said would impose Christianity and asked for comparative religion teaching; student Kenya Waller urged the board to revisit a 15-student minimum that she said threatens IB course offerings and teacher stability.
Two members of the public spoke during the comment period.
Pam Pushaw (District 4) told the board she opposes policies that she said would impose Christianity on students and urged York County schools to teach a mandatory comparative-religion class to reduce ignorance and intolerance. She referenced historical documents and recent legal disputes in other states and said curriculum choices should respect religious freedom.
Kenya Waller (District 1), a York High student, asked the board to reconsider a classroom-size criterion that she said requires at least 15 students for a course to run. Waller said the International Baccalaureate program historically relied on small classes and an exception of 10 students is insufficient; she said proposed cuts to IB French and other courses would limit student options and threaten teacher stability and preparation for IB exams.
Board members did not take action during public comment but heard the concerns; staff and board members may address the IB-program enrollment and scheduling questions in future work sessions.
