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Community member urges Central SD 13J board to act after safety and communication incidents at Independence Elementary
Summary
At the April 6 board meeting, community member Jillian Leightton described two recent incidents at Independence Elementary—one involving a school threat that staff said was not communicated internally and a second in which a staff member allegedly shut a car door on a student and threatened to report the parent to police and CPS—and urged the board to treat the problems as urgent.
Jillian Leightton, a community member, told the Central School District board on April 6 that persistent problems at Independence Elementary have reached a crisis point and urged immediate district action.
"Two incidents in particular became viral local posts and have been catalysts for more parents to come forward," Leightton said, describing one episode where a school threat occurred and "there was no communication" to staff or families, who instead learned details on social media. She said the lack of timely internal notification led to a widespread absence day.
Leightton also described a recent drop-off incident she said involved a staff member "forcibly shut[ting] the car door on the student and informed the parent it would be reported to police and child protective services," and called that response excessive. "If this had taken place within school walls, it would be cause for an investigation into the conduct of the staff member," she told the board.
She said Independence Elementary has one of the district's highest staff-turnover rates, especially among new teachers, and accused the school of having "a toxic environment where new teachers are, I quote, chased out." She added that parents and staff report bullying that has not been adequately resolved and that the school has not shared instructional or drop-off guidance with families.
Board staff earlier in the meeting reminded commenters that personnel complaints must be filed through the board's approved process under board policy KL and that public comment in the meeting forum is limited to three minutes. The board did not announce a formal action in response to Leightton's remarks; after public comment, the chair thanked speakers and the board moved on to standing reports and agenda business.
The board may follow up through established complaint channels and its public comment procedures; no investigation outcome or staff discipline was reported on the record at the meeting.
