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Parents and students at Sullivan County town hall press board on bullying, discipline and program cuts
Summary
During an extended public‑comment session, parents and students delivered multiple testimonies alleging unresolved bullying, bus threats and inadequate discipline, and asked how proposed program cuts could affect electives and career‑tech access; the board pledged follow‑up while citing FERPA limits on public case details.
A large turnout of parents, students and community members used the town‑hall public‑comment period to press the Sullivan County School Board on school climate, discipline and potential program cuts tied to the district's projected budget shortfall.
Several parents described ongoing bullying and retaliatory behavior they say was not resolved through school discipline processes. "My daughter's still been threatened, and she hasn't received an apology," one parent said, asking the district to take concrete action. A student who said she had been bullied at school told the board she experienced ongoing harassment and, in a detailed account, said school responses had been insufficient.
Administrators and board members acknowledged the concerns and repeatedly said student‑specific disciplinary information cannot be discussed publicly because of FERPA and privacy protections. Superintendent Samantha Kaylor and other administrators said staff would follow up privately with families to review cases and next steps.
Students who spoke described classroom disruptions and a sense that repeated offenders sometimes face limited consequences. One high‑school student told the board that reporting bullying had been ineffective over time and described a cycle of temporary responses followed by recurrence.
Speakers also asked how possible programmatic cuts could affect electives, athletics and access to the Northern Tier Career Center. Administrators said athletics and electives were included in the deliberations and that program impacts would be part of the Committee of the Whole discussion on May 19.
Several community members raised concerns about internal communications, vendor payments and specific line‑items in the district's general‑fund reports; the administration offered to provide follow‑up details for those requests.
The board urged constituents to use the chain of command (principal, superintendent, board) for unresolved issues and said the district would publish a summary of what it heard and planned next steps on its website by month end.
Ending: Board president Marylice Nolan closed the evening by thanking speakers for attending and committing to continued engagement and public reporting of next steps.
