Parents, teachers and residents raise staffing, library and social‑media concerns during public comment

During public comment, a veteran teacher identified as Leslie Addison told the board the district had placed a roughly $5.9 million surplus back into the general fund and suggested a total fund balance around $24 million, and urged the board to invest in counselors, mental‑health liaisons, additional staff and higher pay to address shortages of bus drivers and substitutes. Addison cited recent incidents including increased bullying, a weapon confiscated on a bus and admissions of past suicide attempts to underline urgency.

Resident Vincent Monahan said the district's libraries contained the book Trix by Ellen Hopkins and read passages that he said were from the title to illustrate his concerns about availability. He cited an August 14 listing for Northern and Central High schools and said he wanted the board to address the matter. Doug Lee, speaking for an organization he named Forest Hills for Justice Education, urged trustees to prioritize parental rights and academic excellence and said board members should listen to parents and taxpayers. Dorothy Cribbs, identifying herself as Robert Cribbs' wife, asked the board to acknowledge the harm of social‑media attacks she said misrepresented her family and requested privacy and a community response against online misinformation.

The board closed public comment after the allotted speakers and said appropriate administrators would follow up with those who requested it.