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Grandmother urges district to fix conference scheduling and access to classroom materials
Summary
At public comment, Mary Shipley described problems enrolling her 11‑year‑old granddaughter in class activities: she cited a last‑minute Chromebook requirement, inconsistent conference scheduling, teachers unavailable during conference week, lack of take‑home books and difficulty using ParentSquare/Skyward; she said she will not support another levy unless issues are addressed.
During public comment at the Nov. 21 meeting, Mary Shipley, who identified herself as the grandmother of an 11‑year‑old district student, urged the board to address problems she and other parents have experienced obtaining access to classroom materials and parent‑teacher communication.
Shipley said she purchased a Chromebook for her granddaughter only to discover the device was a prerequisite for some classroom access and that the family had difficulty logging into classroom resources. She described confusion about conference scheduling, saying her family was told conferences would be available into the evening but later learned conference times ran from noon to 3 p.m., requiring her son (a rotating‑shift worker) to take time off.
She said teachers in her granddaughter’s classes did not send books home and that some teachers were unavailable during conference week, including one teacher she said had been on vacation. Shipley told the board she sought printed materials because she struggles with the online systems (ParentSquare and Skyward) and that a school secretary named Carol assisted them in learning the systems.
Shipley said the district told her that the district "doesn't have money for paper," and she asked the board how parents and grandparents are expected to support students under those conditions. She said she will not vote for another school levy unless the district addresses these issues and requested a follow‑up from district staff.
Board members acknowledged her concerns and said staff—including Carol and the school principal—would follow up with Shipley.
Provenance: public‑comment segment; staff to follow up with parent contact and principal.
