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Parents, students and attorneys press Palmdale board on bullying and special-education procedures
Summary
Several public commenters—including students and attorneys from Neighborhood Legal Services—told the board the district must follow IDEA rules for reevaluations and not push students off IEPs without comprehensive data; students and parents described bullying and inconsistent responses at some sites.
Multiple public commenters raised concerns about bullying, campus safety and special‑education procedures at the board's May 5 meeting.
Attorneys from Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County urged the board to ensure Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams comply with federal IDEA requirements before changing eligibility. Chelsea Helena, supervising attorney, told the board teams must conduct comprehensive reevaluations and document special-education assessments before deciding a student is no longer eligible; she said forced transitions from IEPs to 504 plans without adequate data are legally insufficient.
Hannah Mesa, who identified herself as an attorney with the group's Education Rights Practice, explained that IDEA requires parent participation in eligibility decisions and that a unilateral exit without reevaluation or parental consent would violate federal rules.
Students and parent speakers described specific campus concerns. A parent, Charmaine, said she had repeatedly reported staff attitude problems at Sage, questioned visible security since a past incident, and raised concerns about nurse availability and students with asthma being assisted by non-medical staff. A sixth‑grade student who identified herself as Miss Flowers described repeated bullying at Sage Magnet Academy, said her complaints were not adequately addressed, and said she has been placed in a behavior class despite reporting harassment by other students.
Board members did not take immediate action during the public-comment period. Speakers asked for district follow-up, better investigation of reports, consistent application of IEP procedures and clearer channels for student safety and health needs.
The board's legal and special-education staff were present for the meeting; the attorneys' presentation emphasized that federal regulations (IDEA sections cited) require data-driven reevaluations and parental involvement before eligibility changes.
