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Students, families and union press board for cultural recognition and more full-time security
Summary
Public commenters urged the Pleasantville board to recognize Three Kings Day on the district calendar and asked the board to hire more full-time security officers and custodians; the board approved acknowledging Three Kings Day and the superintendent outlined current security allocations.
Public comment at the Pleasantville Board of Education meeting on March 3 brought calls for cultural recognition and for increased full-time staffing.
Jonathan Viego and other speakers urged the board to recognize Three Kings Day (January 6) as a day off or district observance to reflect the district’s largely Latino student population. Board members moved and voted to "acknowledge/celebrate Three Kings Day" on the calendar.
Separately, the president of the district employee union (unnamed in the transcript) urged the board to hire more full-time security guards and custodians so employees can receive benefits and better maintain school buildings. The union speaker described the current reliance on part-time staff for pass-checking and said the staffing levels were not sufficient for buildings with thousands of students.
Superintendent Dr. Marilyn Martinez responded that the district’s climate has improved and that incidents of fighting have decreased. She provided staffing allocations, saying the high school has an allocation of 11 security officers and the middle school nine. Martinez emphasized restorative practices and student engagement as part of efforts to reduce aggression and keep students in classrooms.
