Public commenters urge better school lunches, raise student-pickup safety concerns and stress equitable contracts

Several members of the public used the comment period to raise concerns about student welfare, meal quality and contract fairness.

Ms. Tisa Singleton described World Kindness Day activities at Lincoln Avenue School and encouraged community participation in holiday events. Fifth-grader Scarlett St. Hilaire told the board that school breakfasts can be unappealing and said she skipped the meal after receiving a hard breakfast that morning; she urged the district to consider menu revisions to better serve students who rely on school meals.

"The breakfast I received was hard and unappetizing, leading me to skip it entirely," Scarlett said, asking the district to consider more appealing and varied choices.

Ms. Sakeynah Sawyer urged the board to honor equitable contracts and living wages for district employees, saying that fiscal respect supports diverse and stable school staffing. Ms. Gloria Steward raised a safety concern about limited visibility and the absence of a sidewalk near the STEM program drop-off area; she suggested measures such as a crossing guard and asked how the district follows up on students placed in outside programs.

Board members thanked commenters and said concerns would be considered. No formal board action on food-service menus, safety infrastructure, or contract terms was taken at the meeting; the issues were entered into the public record for follow-up.