Public commenters raise concerns about hiring, settlements and vetting of district psychologists

During the public comment portion of the Dec. 2 meeting, Michael Bodnar and Laura Warmkestle raised concerns about district hiring practices, transparency around special‑needs settlements, and the vetting of recently contracted psychologists. Bodnar referenced a recent guilty plea by a former employee and said the board should have examined warning signs earlier; he asked the solicitor for clarification about public‑speaking rules and reserved time for counsel to respond.

Laura Warmkestle echoed concerns about one‑year rolling contracts for psychologists and said right‑to‑know requests yielded resumes but not letters of recommendation; she said she intends to appeal to Harrisburg for more transparency. Both speakers expressed strong emotions about student safety and called for more public accountability.

Board members thanked the speakers for raising concerns and said they would follow up through appropriate channels. The board did not take immediate personnel action during the meeting; the issues were framed as public grievances requiring further administrative or legal follow‑up.