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Parents press Arlington ISD on special‑education safety and urge retention of Buoie High IB/AVID counselor
Summary
At open forum, a parent described unresolved safety incidents affecting her autistic child and asked the board for meaningful IEP implementation; Buoie High parents, teachers and students urged trustees to retain the school's IB/AVID counselor, citing her central role in student success and program stability.
Two distinct clusters of public comment drew trustees’ attention Wednesday night: a parent of a child with autism who described repeated safety incidents and lapses in implementation of IEP commitments, and a group of Buoie High School parents and staff urging the district to retain the school’s IB/AVID counselor.
Taylor Sportone, a parent, said her daughter — described in the presentation as a bright student who also receives special‑education services — experienced ongoing bullying, sexual misconduct by peers and two occasions when the child was left unsupervised on campus. ‘‘Despite repeated requests for a safety plan to be implemented, no safety plan has been added to my child's IEP,’’ Sportone said, telling trustees she and her family had attended about 15 AR (admission, review, dismissal) meetings without a settled solution.
Separately, several Buoie High community members — including Carl Howell and teacher Rachel Adams — told trustees the school’s IB/AVID counselor, Caitlyn Settles, is essential to students’ academic planning, social‑emotional support and program continuity. Speakers described hundreds of students who depend on her counsel, and graduates who credited her for persistence through rigorous programs. “She actually cares about us,” one student statement read aloud by a community member.
Trustees accepted the speakers' statements into the public record and asked administration to review the concerns. Board members did not take immediate action during the session but acknowledged the need to follow up with staff on both special‑education implementation and counseling staffing.
