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Parent asks board for answers on Gaskill Prep racial incident, says district has not responded
Summary
A parent urged the Niagara Falls board to respond publicly about a March racial incident at Gaskill Preparatory School and asked whether board policies require broader family communication and oversight; the board did not provide a substantive reply during public comment.
A Niagara Falls parent on June 18 urged the Board of Education to respond publicly to concerns about the district’s handling of a March 6 racial incident at Gaskill Preparatory School, saying prior correspondence to the board had not received answers.
Michael B. Barksdale of Independence Avenue asked the board to respond to his June 3 letter and earlier May 26 correspondence and said the absence of a reply risks undermining public trust. "To date, I have not received a response to the questions raised in that communication," he read into the record. "Given the significance of the issues involved, I am concerned that the absence of a response may be interpreted by parents and community members as a lack of willingness to address legitimate concerns regarding transparency, accountability, and board oversight."
Barksdale told the board his questions are not about confidential personnel details but about communication and whether board policies were followed. He referenced board policies by number while asking whether the district’s actions matched its stated commitments to transparency and family engagement: "Policy 7555, Dignity for All Students Act; Policy 8260, Parent and Family Engagement; Policy 1410, Policy Development and Evaluation; Policy 1310, Powers and duties of the board," he said, arguing the public deserves clarification on the district’s communication practices.
Board members did not offer a substantive public response during the comment period. Barksdale asked whether the board planned to discuss the matter at a future education meeting and requested that the board provide either a written response or place the issue on an upcoming agenda for public examination.
The comment was logged during the 8:01 public-comment period; trustees continued with the evening’s consent agenda and other business following public comments. The district did not provide a formal written reply during the meeting record."
