Teachers and parents urge Natomas Unified to invest in behavioral supports and reading interventions

Several parents and teachers urged the Natomas Unified School District board to take concrete steps to address behavioral challenges and staffing shortages at school sites.

Parent Alexis Coley testified that her third‑grade daughter—a two‑time brain‑cancer survivor—is performing below grade level and that the family has been denied access to programs the parent considers appropriate. Coley told the board, "My child is not unable to learn. She simply needs a specialized approach." She cited California Education Code provisions and asked the district to identify or outsource services if it cannot meet the child’s needs.

Multiple teachers from H. Allen Hight and other schools described the burden of rising trauma‑related behaviors and limited counseling and behavior‑specialist resources. Cass Hammer, a classroom teacher, said the district “passed up the opportunity to apply for a community schools grant that could have provided millions of dollars,” and urged the board to pursue funding. Substitute teacher Jay Young and second‑grade teacher Natalie Marcus Leidy described classrooms where teachers are exhausted and where students who have experienced war or other trauma need more intensive supports. First‑grade teacher Heather Hawkins summarized: "Our biggest struggle this year has been trying to achieve academic excellence while managing extreme behaviors."

Why it matters: Teachers and parents described staffing and program gaps that they say are harming instruction and putting pressure on site administrators. Speakers asked the board to clarify escalation pathways, provide behavior specialists and pursue outside grant funding.

The board did not take immediate action on the public‑comment requests during the meeting; comments were entered into the record for follow‑up.