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Parent urges board to increase in-class adult support amid rising disruptions
Summary
Erin Hedrick, parent of an Oak Harbor student, told the board classrooms lack sufficient trained adult support after paraeducator cuts and urged stronger enforcement of policies and board members to observe classroom realities.
"My name is Erin Hedrick, and my daughter is a student here in the Oak Harbor School District," Erin Hedrick told the board during public comment on April 13. She said teachers "do not have enough physically able-bodied adult support to effectively respond to the behavioral issues present in many of our classrooms" and described budget cuts to paraeducators and support staff as having a "direct and negative impact."
Hedrick differentiated students with identified special needs from what she called ongoing defiance and disruption, saying those require "meaningful intervention or accountability" rather than being ignored. She urged the board to "spend some time in our classrooms and have direct, honest conversations with teachers" to see the day-to-day realities and asked the board to reevaluate how policies such as zero-tolerance for bullying are being implemented.
The board acknowledged Hedrick's comments and then moved to scheduled staff presentations. No formal board action addressing Hedrick's requests was recorded during the meeting; the matter remained a public appeal for consideration by board members and staff.
