NEWBURGH – Students and parents levied a barrage of complaints regarding violence in the schools and the district’s poor response during a session of the Newburgh School Board on Tuesday night.
Superintendent Jackielyn Manning Campbell had anticipated the complaints and outlined the process for filing complaints in her opening remarks. She said that approaching the superintendent was the last resort.
During the Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items parents and students voiced their fear, frustration and anger. They said that students in ski masks and armed with weapons have threatened other students at Newburgh Free Academy Ann Street. They said that the violent students have gone unpunished. One mother said educators were bullying students and had no regard for them. One student said she has stopped going to school because she doesn’t feel safe.
School board member Mark Levinstein attempted to have the board address the complaints in executive session, but board president Carole Mineo said the matter wasn’t allowed in executive session. And so Mineo adjourned the meeting, and the complaints went unchallenged and unanswered.
After the meeting when a reporter requested to speak with Manning Campbell regarding the complaints, Cassie Sklarz, Director of Communications, responded that the superintendent said she wouldn’t be available until Wednesday.
School Board clerk Mona Novotny said a list of the Public Comment speakers wouldn’t be available until Wednesday.