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Parents and students urge board to protect programs and fix safety, staffing concerns during public comment
Summary
Multiple parents, students and community members told the Allegany County Board on May 12 that staffing moves threaten student programs, coding instruction lacks structure at one middle school, and restroom stall latches and service-dog policies need attention; the board offered no immediate responses during the meeting.
During the public-comment period at the Allegany County Board of Education27s May 12 meeting, several parents, students and community volunteers raised concerns about staffing decisions and program stability, building safety and special-accommodations practices.
Justin Broadwater, a Bradock Middle School parent, said he supports coding instruction but described problems with how the required course is being taught. "This is not teaching. That's cheating," Broadwater said, alleging the teacher lacks the background to teach coding, that students were being told to use YouTube or Google to complete assignments, and that students failing the course were publicly identified. He also said girls' bathroom stall latches at Bradock were not functioning and offered to donate $100 to replace the latches.
Susan Summers, an instructional assistant with 41 years in the district, described volunteer-run service dogs and dogs-in-training used as classroom accommodations and urged the board to clarify the district policy on service animals in schools. "The dogs are part of those accommodations," Summers said, outlining how dogs can help de-escalate and engage students.
Karina Ford, a parent at Washington Middle School, told the board the Commander Company theater program relies on a displaced educator and said the educator's move has "put the opportunity in jeopardy" for students who depend on the program for leadership and hands-on experience.
Student speakers raised separate student-program concerns: Karma Spack, a sophomore at Allegany High School, said juniors were unexpectedly removed from the Bobcat Academy partnership with Frostburg State University and that she collected petitions from staff and students asking for reinstatement; Joey Linden Leiden raised seniority and grievance questions connected to involuntary staff transfers and urged clearer protections for veteran teachers.
Representatives of community volunteer organizations also offered services: Chris Melany, president of Mountain Maryland Search & Rescue, said the group has certified therapy-dog teams available to assist during traumatic events in schools.
The board did not provide immediate verbal responses to the public commenters during the meeting.
What happens next: Several speakers said they will follow up with district staff; the administration indicated some questions (for example, Bobcat Academy scheduling and specific personnel matters) would be handled outside the public meeting because personnel matters are excluded from the public-comment record.
