Board Meeting Comments

While I appreciate that this policy emphasizes positive behavior supports and a safe learning environment, I have serious concerns about how the district will ensure that the rights, safety, and dignity of our most vulnerable students are actually protected in practice. We need transparency through data reporting as well as stronger oversight and accountability. Its also important that EVERY staff member is fully trained and retrained regularly in de-escalation and trauma-informed crisis response. No student should ever be harmed because an adult was unprepared or unsupported. Finally, we must center families as partners, not just recipients of after-the-fact notifications. Parents should have a real voice in reviewing what happened, understanding why, and shaping what happens next. For Cameras when will these be added and what is the order of installment? Families also deserve timely access to footage when there’s a concern. A one-month retention period is not enough if there are delays or disputes. There must be safeguards to preserve recordings immediately when an allegation of abuse or neglect is raised.

As a parent of a child with multiple disabilities who is nonverbal, uses an AAC device, and has medical conditions such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and a VP shunt, I appreciate that the updated East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Policy seeks to improve fairness and consistency in student discipline. The inclusion of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and an emphasis on evidence-based approaches show an understanding that punitive discipline does not address the needs of children who communicate and process the world differently. I strongly encourage the Board to explore sustained funding streams to ensure consistent camera operation, to consider multi-year parental requests, and to establish an appeals process for denied installations. For parents like myself, these safeguards provide peace of mind that our children, who cannot always speak for themselves, will be protected and valued.