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Parents and NAACP press Rome board over IEP enforcement and teacher cuts
Summary
Parents and NAACP leaders told the Rome City School District board that special‑education services were delayed and that cuts to the business department at Rome Free Academy will harm students; the board listened but did not reverse staffing decisions during the meeting.
Several parents and a local NAACP leader urged the Rome City School District board to address what they described as failures in special‑education supports and to reconsider staffing cuts that would reduce student access to career and dual‑credit business courses.
Tracy Malone, teacher coordinator for the district's business department, told the board she was asking them to "reconsider their decision to cut the business teacher" at Rome Free Academy for the 2026–27 school year, saying the department's enrollment was not down, that MVCC dual‑credit economics and other higher‑level offerings had been limited, and that the 'school store' hands‑on learning component requires a third qualified business teacher to operate across three lunch periods.
Parent Gina Kerpek said her nonverbal autistic son’s federally protected Individualized Education Program (IEP) went unfulfilled for years, that the family was once told by district employees to "move districts if you want your son to receive services," and that they spent thousands on legal representation before their concerns were taken seriously. Kerpek asked the newly elected board to create a culture where families are treated as partners rather than adversaries and to resolve concerns before they become legal disputes.
Jacqueline Nelson, president of the Rome NAACP and Western Region education chair for the NAACP New York State Conference, called for stronger partnerships among families, nonprofits and schools, more data review, equitable discipline and increased access to mental‑health supports and enrichment so schools are "safe, inclusive, well resourced" for every student.
Board members listened and the superintendent said the administration had heard community concerns and would review them; no immediate policy changes or reversals were announced at the meeting. Members of the public who requested follow‑up were noted on the record and the administration offered to be contacted for additional follow‑up.
