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Parents and staff press Natomas Unified on safety and special education staffing
Summary
Multiple parents and staff described classroom assaults, concussions, insufficient special-education staffing, and denied IEP requests; speakers urged immediate action on 1:1 aides and better supervision to protect students and staff.
A series of public commenters described incidents and systemic issues affecting special-education students and staff safety, asking the board to act immediately.
Catherine Marash recounted multiple classroom assaults that resulted in a concussion and emergency care; she said she was out for three weeks and remains because of an employment contract. Michelle Rodriguez described regular physical and verbal assaults and said "1 teacher and 2 aides is no longer functional," urging trustees to visit Room 162 at H. Allen Heights for a sustained observation of classroom conditions. Parents of an autistic child, including Michelle Gibbons and Shameka Payne, described unsupervised behaviors (digging in trash, eating items off the ground) and said repeated requests for a 1:1 aide were denied without the required written notice under IDEA and California Education Code.
Speakers asked the district to provide appropriate supervision and resources, citing safety, learning loss and family stress. The board did not record immediate policy changes at the meeting; several trustees thanked speakers and acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns.
