Public speaks out about violence, student safety at Greater Johnstown School Board meeting | News

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A number of members of the community and employees took turns talking at Tuesday’s Higher Johnstown School Board assembly to handle security, combating and other issues in just the district.

“The total of violence and violent acts from pupils, staff members and security is outrageous,” mother or father Jennifer Miller said.

She told the group she shouldn’t have to be concerned about her child’s protection and questioned more be carried out to keep the universities risk-free.

At minimum 7 other mothers and fathers and staff shared identical requests with the board, begging them to do something to support the learners, together with neighborhood activist John DeBartola, who implored the board to keep a city corridor conference to tackle these difficulties.

Several questioned for extra rigid outcomes for those people who break the code of perform and that the governing doc be strengthened to dissuade others from offending.

District leaders have dealt with lots of actual physical altercations during this college yr and videos of the fights spreading quickly on social media. That is led to the choosing of supplemental protection guards and obtain of metal detectors.

A single new act of violence involved three woman pupils attacking a peer.

That incident landed two of the aggressors, Sitara Andrea Graham and Rashya Heather Headen, both of those 18, in jail and billed with felony counts of aggregated assault amid other costs.

The victim’s mother was in attendance Tuesday, but did not converse.

“We will need to come with each other as moms and dads, as a school district and as a neighborhood to just take our schools again to where they after have been,” father or mother and Higher Johnstown steering counselor Melana Simms explained. “We will need to increase the bar … stick to the code of perform and want to let the kids that want to master, turn out to be superior people today, and superior college students, have that chance.”

These opinions led board member Missy Spaugy to movement for the asked for city hall, which was handed unanimously.

Right after the assembly, she stated she was moved by the opinions, and agreed with the speakers, 1 of whom outlined the nicely-identified quotation of it getting a village to increase a boy or girl.

That not only trapped out to Spaugy, but was the determining element of her vote.

“The alternatives are here among us,” she reported.

The village has to be introduced with each other to make it happen, Spaugy additional.

She explained the board has been doing work diligently to place the pieces of the district again alongside one another, these as exploring choices for the behavioral plan and building a tiered technique for managing student carry out issues, but recognized that these issues consider time.

James McMillen supported her motion for the reason that he reported he was swayed by those people who spoke.

“I’d like to get a lot more men and women concerned,” McMillen explained.

Eugene Pentz, board president, reported the board is fully commited to scheduling the city corridor, and Spaugy reported she wishes to see it performed just before July.

Pentz addressed the community opinions through his report.

“I’m happy we had mothers and fathers come listed here,” Pentz explained. “Everything absolutely everyone stated, I assume every person on the board now has the exact same feelings that you have.”

The faculty leader supported the city hall, inquiring that quite a few dad and mom show up, and mentioned that a the latest assembly with district fathers was held for all those intrigued in remaining optimistic job types at Higher Johnstown.

Pentz also agreed with the want for an up to date code of perform.

He promised that would be accomplished but asked for endurance as the board works.

“We are doing a thing,” Pentz confident the group. “It’s likely to consider time.”

Board member Thomas Dadey shared the very same concept and named on extra people today to show up at the month to month meetings to further more hash out the troubles inside the district.

He claimed he’s tired of rumors spreading on social media and wants to speak to all those men and women in man or woman. 

Joshua Byers is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be attained at 814-532-5054. Stick to him on Twitter @Journo_Josh.