During the public comment period, Ashley Meyer, a parent of a profoundly autistic child at Cedar Creek, addressed the board regarding her son’s lack of educational services. Meyer detailed the distressing experience of her son being denied education for 57 days. She accused the board of neglect, stating that her attempts to report alleged misconduct by the director of special education, Joseph Bond, went unanswered. Meyer emphasized her son’s entitlement to services under his Individualized Education Program (IEP) and criticized board members for not living up to their campaign promises of prioritizing communication with families. In her emotional appeal, she insisted, “You cannot represent Lacey education and just ignore misconduct complaints,” highlighting the gravity of her son’s situation and urging the board to take action.

Following Meyer, Richard Bidnick, representing Lacey Citizens for Responsible Government, offered his apologies to Meyer and echoed her concerns. Bidnick criticized the board for its handling of special education services, stating that many parents face similar challenges. He also addressed the financial strain on senior citizens due to tax increases, blaming the board’s decision-making. Bidnick asserted that the board had done a “terrible disservice” to taxpayers and pointed out the negative impact of poor school performance metrics on students’ future opportunities and local property values. His remarks underscored a broader call for accountability and professionalism within the district.

A speaker during the session also raised questions about the board’s financial decisions, particularly regarding a significant tax increase and the district’s legal expenses. The speaker expressed skepticism over the board’s prior assurances of budget approval and criticized the shift from a rejected 7.5% budget increase to a 9.54% tax hike. Concerns were voiced about potential ethics violations related to straw polling on budgetary issues, with the speaker contemplating filing a complaint. The legal expenses, including $55,000 in monthly bills and $5,700 related to defending Mr. Gordono against ethics cases, were scrutinized. The speaker suggested that board members should personally bear legal costs from their own wrongdoing, which could deter frivolous lawsuits.

Additionally, the ongoing payments of $12,600 for former employee Crystal Daro were questioned, noting she was the second food service director to be terminated consecutively. The speaker called for the board to recognize its role in the district’s financial troubles to begin addressing these issues.

As public comments concluded, the board proceeded to committee reports. The policy committee’s discussions included records retention in Google Workspace and graduation dress code specifics. Efforts to develop a stronger cell phone policy for students and to reduce athletic program costs were also noted. The finance committee meeting discussed financial matters such as the ROG grant status, land surveys, and food service pricing changes for the upcoming school year. Mr. Peters provided an update on the upcoming referendum for roofing and HVAC upgrades, emphasizing there would be no tax burden on residents and potentially a $4 annual tax reduction per taxpayer.

Board members were given the opportunity to comment, with some acknowledging receipt of public emails and clarifying that responses are managed through the board president. The meeting concluded with motions on meeting minutes, bills, and financial resolutions, where abstentions on specific votes were noted.