001[clears throat] >> Hey, I call this meeting to order with brief moment of silence and the pledge of allegiance if we're all please stand. Sue, may I have a roll call, please? Mr. Mignon. Here. Mr. Francis. Mrs. Irwin Adams. Here. Mrs. McGuinness. Here. Mr. Cook. Here. Mr. McColley. Mr. Romanowitz. Here. Mr. Pacifico. Here. Mr. Pappas. Here. Thank you, all. Okay, before we get started, I just like to announce we had a executive session prior to this meeting uh to discuss personnel issues. And uh before we get started with some of the other things, we have a special special presentation tonight. Uh we we'd like to recognize Mr. Fred Martinuska, uh Altoona Area School District long-time security greeter and event worker. It might take him a minute to get up here. Welcome, Fred. Good evening. My
002name is Bill Papp for the director for the Altoona Area School District Safety and Security ASD Police. Um tonight we would like to honor uh Mr. Fred Martinuska, who was one of our full-time security greeters. He was primarily stationed at the Altoona Area High School. Fred uh served as a not just a uh security greeter, but also as an event worker, and was made countless memories for many kids, and he was always the guy that would always say yes, and never turned us down for anything that came up. Fred was employed with us from 2017 until he could no longer do the job in 2026. Um so at this time, I would like to present an award to Fred for his uh service and commitment to the Altoona Area School District. Fred's never shy about
003saying a few words, so he can say what he wants to say. What I want to say is uh you shouldn't be thanking me. I thank you for giving me the job, cuz I'll tell you what, just the kids, the students, it's worth it. And you guys, you do a good job. Just keep it up, okay? You can take it. Fred, I just want to echo what, you know, Bill's comments, and and it was always warming to go into a building where Fred was, and and to see the smile on his face. The you talk about servant leaders in the community, um you're not going to find a more dedicated, more passionate person than Fred. Never said no. Never said no. Kids relish seeing him on a daily basis, and I want to wish you
004best um in your your second retirement, and thank you so much for everything you've done. Thank you. Thank you, all. >> [clears throat] >> Okay. Thanks, Fred. One one uh What's that? I don't Um Paula. Paula, do we want to get a picture with Fred, or we we okay? Pardon me? Uh then we're good. Then we're good. No, we're good. We're good. I didn't we just want to make sure we got a photo. All good. Thank you. Um before we get started, I know we have a lot of people here wanting to stand up and speak. We have one piece of business before we get into that. Um Under number item number three, uh resolution of the Board of Directors, um administration recommends approving the 2026-2027 Greater Altoona Career Technology Center budget that was reviewed
005and approved by the and approved by the Joint Operating Committee on March 23rd, 2026. So I will seek a motion to approve this budget resolution. Do I have a second? Would anyone wish to discuss anything? Okay, seeing none, all in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Anyone opposed? Motion carries. Um next on the agenda is that part of the evening where we uh hear from our citizens, and I have a list here. If you aren't on this list, and you're here, and you would like to speak, you could speak also. Um we'll give everybody an opportunity who would like to speak. Uh we want your voices to be heard. So, I have a brief list. If if uh if you're not one of these people on this list, you could step up after I
006go through this list. First, I have um Angelina Seabrook and Justin Seabrook. If you'd like to step up. Are they here? No? Going once, twice. Okay. Um next on my list, I have uh Tiffany Russo. If you would like to stand up, um and um you have 5 minutes. I'll give you uh a gentle hand gesture um when you're getting close, like about 30 seconds, but the the the mic is yours. Thank you. Sure. All right, my name is Tiffany Russo. I am from Altoona. Members of the board, I stand before you today not just as a former student, but as someone who lived through what so many students in this district are still enduring 25 years later. A system that still leaves students vulnerable, unheard, and unprotected. We talk a lot about violence when
007it comes to bullying, and yes, that matters, but bullying is not just fists in a hallway, or shoves between classes. It is the constant, relentless taunts. It is the whispers, the laughter, the isolation. It is the psychological warfare carried out day after day until a student begins to believe the lies being said about them. And what happens when students go through this? They don't just toughen up. They can't just ignore it. They can't just go back to class. Their mental health declines. Their sense of safety disappears. And most importantly, their ability to learn is taken from them. Education is not just about learning. It requires safety. It requires dignity. It requires a basic level of emotional security that bullying strips away. And I know this because I lived it. For years, I endured bullying in
008this school district. Not for a day, not for a week, but for years. And despite policies, promises, and the so-called zero tolerance stance, nothing meaningful was ever done to stop it. I was left to navigate an environment where I felt unsafe, unheard, and invisible. It got so bad that I had to transfer schools during my senior year. A time that should have been filled with memories, milestones, and celebration. Instead, it became an escape from a system that failed me. And I know I'm not alone in this. More and more families are pulling their children out of this district altogether. They are turning to cyber charter schools like CCA because they feel they have no other option. They are choosing isolation over in-person education because at least behind a screen, their children are safe. And that
009should alarm every single person in this room. I also want to address a recent incident outside the junior high school in which a young girl was jumped and severely beaten. This disturbing event highlights the urgent need for stronger, more effective measures to ensure safety both on and around school grounds. No child should ever have to fear for their safety when attending school. Incidents like this not only cause physical harm, but also leave lasting and psychological effects on the victim. It creates an environment of fear rather than one of learning and growth. Your practice of requiring students to repeatedly sign no-contact agreements, especially when prior agreements have already failed, is not as efficient or meaningful solution. When these measures are violated without strong follow-through or consequences, they lose complete credibility and do little to prevent further
010harm. Bullying leaves scars, and not the kind you can always see, but the kind that shapes how you see yourself, how you trust others, and how you move through the world. It follows you into adulthood in ways that are hard to explain, but impossible to ignore. This is not just part of growing up. This is not harmless. This is not something students should have to endure to get an education. And yet, we hear about zero tolerance. But zero tolerance for what? Because from where I stand, and from what I have lived through, it feels like zero accountability. Policies mean nothing if they are not enforced. Words mean nothing if they are not backed by action. A zero tolerance policy that results in no real intervention, no protection, and no change is not a policy. It's
011an illusion. And that is why I chose to take action beyond my own experience, and I created the nonprofit Bookrooms Against Bullies to be a voice for these students who feel silenced, and to advocate for those who are suffering, and to bring awareness to the very real and lasting impact of bullying. Because no student should feel like they are fighting this battle alone. And yet, the fact that something like this even needs to exist speaks volumes about the gaps that still remain in our schools. I am urging you to take a good, hard look at what is happening in your district. Listen to the students who are suffering, and examine where your policies are failing. And most importantly, take a real, measurable action to ensure that no students have to go through what I did.
012Because no student should have to transfer schools just to feel safe. No student should have to sacrifice their education just to survive the day. And no student should have to carry the lifelong weight of scars that could have been prevented. I deserved better. Your students deserve better, and this district must do better. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Um, next on my list and and I apologize if I pronounce it wrong, Casey is it Mabry or Mabry? Mabry. Same same thing, Casey. You have 5 minutes. And I won't start until you get up there. Oh, I'd first like to speak as um, my daughter. She texted on the way here. >> Okay. Um, so I'm going to grab it. Okay. Tell me when you're ready. We're ready. Okay. Okay. Uh, this week and the
013previous week I haven't gone to school because I can't. The day that I got jumped, I was really scared and that changed my life. I hope you understand why I'm so scared and I hope this doesn't happen to another kid. I wish you took the stuff I wrote up more seriously. I'm scared to even go on a walk alone when I'm at home or stand up for myself to anyone anymore or tell any teachers my problems. >> [clears throat] >> Thank you. Um, so my name's Casey Mabry and I'm the parent of the sixth grade student who was assaulted on school property on March 23rd. My daughter was attacked from behind, dragged by her hair, and struck in the head and neck approximately 40 times. This lasted for 31 seconds. 31 seconds where no adult
014intervened. 31 seconds where she was alone. 31 seconds where people responsible for her safety were not there. I'd like you to understand like what 31 seconds feels like um, because for my daughter, it was not just a number. Um, it was fear, pain, helplessness. Um, so I I'd like to take a moment to sit with that. That silence, the discomfort is only a fraction of what my daughter felt because you're all safe. She wasn't. This wasn't an unavoidable incident. This was a preventable failure. A failure in supervision, failure in communication, a failure in response. And I I do want to be clear, this isn't about what happened during those 31 seconds. Um, this is about everything that led up to it. My daughter reported fear for her safety. There were known issues with the students
015involved. And still no intervention took place. I'm here tonight not just for my daughter, but for every child who walks into an Altoona Area School expecting to be safe. So my question for the board is, what are you going to do differently to ensure this never happens again? We don't want reassurances and we don't want more vague policies. We need actual measurable change. Because right now, the system that was supposed to protect my child didn't work. And until that's acknowledged and corrected, every child in your district is at risk. Thank you. Um, next number four on my list is Mr. Hosey. Andre, please. Thanks so much and uh, I'd like to begin by saying that I I know many of you as educators and community leaders alongside me. Um, you're going to see a noticeable
016tone shift today. Uh, my name's Andre Hosey and I've stood in front of this Board of Directors many times wearing many hats. I won't bore you with those titles because I'm not here for an interview. I'm here because a little girl named Elsie was brutally assaulted on the sidewalks just outside these doors. That little girl has sat on my couch, ate at my table, and spent a few too many late nights playing video games with my daughter. So excuse me if my speech tonight isn't as professional and polished as my other statements have been because I'm here to make it personal for each and every one of you, too. There's a lot of fingers I'd like to point tonight and I'll get to some of those. But if you take anything from my limited time
017tonight, it's this, that you, the Altoona Area School District, are the adults responsible for protecting our children when they are on your property and yet again, you failed. And this isn't an isolated failure. This community remembers Alan Greiner presenting a multi-grade level, multi-incident chain of events where he wasn't notified appropriately of issues involving his daughter. After more than five incidents in a year, he said, quote, and this was six months ago, "My daughter has learned at Altoona Area High School that nobody is going to lift a finger to defend her even when she asked for help and that the school administration will fight very hard to keep their sense of control." This community remembers Aunt Karen who I stood here with speaking for her nephew, Dustin Shields, who was ridiculed by district employees in an
018alternative education classroom that displayed his ID photo next to the broccoli character from VeggieTales in front of hundreds of his peers during school time. Dustin was placed in that alternative classroom after an altercation with a group of students who repeatedly threatened him. These threats were reported and dismissed by the district. Those same children were later arrested on firearms charges after targeting another student just months later. And this communi- community remembers Wyatt Landsberry. We remember a 12-year-old boy bullied so badly at that same school across the street that he took his own life. His parents told local news sources, "We had no clue that he was having these issues." We remember a court finding that Wyatt, quote, "was in fact bullied through social media and at the school and that the district failed to adequately respond."
019And what I hope you will remember, too, are some of his final words from his suicide letter. "If any good was to come of his death, it would be that this type of behavior would no longer be permitted and or turned a blind eye to the district." I know many in this room had strong feelings about past superintendent, Dr. Charles Prieto, the current administration included. So before any of you up there look at us back here and say, "Well, we've implemented policies or we take school safety very seriously," I'd like to remind you of his words six years ago in an article about that child's death titled, "Child Bullied to Death, Family Searches for Solutions." Dr. P said, "You know, we're not perfect. There's no question we're not perfect and there are people that would
020be more than glad to tell you we didn't handle this right, but we're doing everything we can possible to ensure that we get it right. Every year it's reviewed, every year it's board approved again, it's updated." By now, I know many of you on the board, in this crowd, and watching live have seen the social media post I shared earlier today about this incident. I opened that post by describing the policy cesspool around here. And I made that comment because after years of watching the AASD attempt to address numerous shortcomings on bullying, children are still being targeted and attacked on the grounds of this institution. Policies do not protect children by themselves. Adults do, action does, and intervention does. And less than a month ago, the only direct action and intervention in the beating of
021a little girl named Elsie was a little boy at the junior high stepping in between the punches as they were landing. Can you blame us if our families are left wondering whether this district is more committed to managing its image than protecting its students. And on the topic of families, the mother of one of the girls who attacked LC is here tonight. She's been apologetic, sincere, and has taken extreme ownership of the situation with her daughter, and is even sitting with LC's mom. I can't imagine finding my daughter on the dishing out end of a conflict, and I thank her for coming out today and working to improve this situation. The other perpetrator's mother continues to call everyone concerned different profanities and threaten revenge criminal charge filings. I'm asking that this district take a further
022look into the safety and well-being of that child, perpetrator or not, based on her mother's concerning behaviors with the public. I've already shared the relevant public conversations with the superintendent. And to the parents behind me, we have an obligation to in communication, not just with our children, but with our co-parents and with this district. We can't expect them to take action if we don't show up more than just when something goes wrong. We can't have a serious board meeting be the only reason that we show up and talk to the people that we elected in charge of this community. So, I can stand here and I can demand accountability, and I can demand change, and I can demand new policies. I sat around the corner in this building helping write those policies just 5 years
023ago. But, I'm asking you to listen, to take it to heart, to communicate with these parents, and parents, I'm asking you to hold their feet to the fire on it. Thank you. Thanks, Andre. Um next, we have Angel Homan on the list. If you'd like to step up and Good evening. Hello. Um this is very difficult standing here this evening being the mother of one of the children who assaulted LC. Um I want to begin by saying thank you for giving me the time to formally apologize to the board, the administration, and the community, as well as LC's mom, LC, her family, Paige, her family as well, because Paige was there. Paige comes from a domestic violence family and has also been traumatized by this. I'm looking at this as three ways. A parent of
024a child who assaulted a victim, a parent of a child as if my child was assaulted, as well as a parent who is angry with the school. I will say I've had tons of support from the school. However, I am so deeply sorry for this incident. There's no excuse for violent behavior from my child or any of my children. I do not condone this. My spouse does not condone this. I take full responsibility for my daughter's actions, completely 100%. I am here tonight in front of everybody. It's very difficult to do this, but I promise to you LC and Jamie were close friends. I have discussed the severity of this incident with my daughter, Jamie Homan, and we are taking the necessary steps through therapy, Blend Disc case management, I'm sorry, as well as many
025other services. I am a parent who will take every step necessary if there is any discipline on the school board's end, the administration, I'm willing to take that. My child will work on managing her emotions better in the future and resolve conflict through mature means. We are also taking this opportunity to help my child to learn and grow and to make better choices. And not on paper, but just me standing here in front of everybody, from the bottom of my heart, I truly, deeply, sincerely apologize that this violent severe beating happened to LC, and I do wish that my daughter had made the choice not to step in after Jayla had started the altercation. There was prior events leading up to this incident that I was unaware of and made aware of after the fact.
026And I would also like to state that the moment I was made aware of this incident, I called the school, spoke with Amy Webster, made her aware, and I did send the video, and I felt that as a parent, that was the step that I needed to take. I'm standing here and I will take whatever steps necessary to help all the parents involved, the school administration, whatever is needed to take to make changes. My daughter, I will admit, has five no contact orders, and I took those very seriously. However, with the steps in place, that obviously did not work. So, I am here tonight to apologize, as well as hope that there are changes made for future. If my child and I have to be an example to make those changes, I'm willing to stand
027here and help from the bottom of my heart. I'm not behaving in a way as the other parents are. I'm taking full responsibility. I would not like to be associated with the other family that is involved. I am responsible for my child, and we're taking the steps necessary. And thank you for your time. Thank you, Ms. Homan. That was very honorable. Truly appreciate it. Um is there anybody else in the audience who would like to to step to the mic? If you do if you would like to, please share your name and you have 5 minutes. Thank you. I'm Steven Geist. I'm also a former Altoona kid. Mr. Hatch, I never had you, but I saw you around the school, and I knew you to be a good guy, so I'm glad to see you
028here. Um I spoke to Mr. Campbell on the phone, but we haven't met. But, I'm glad you're here to hear the things that I want to say. The attack that occurred and was filmed on school grounds was absolutely and undeniably preventable. And the school district and its policies are liable and solely to blame. This district gets funding for having a zero tolerance policy in regards to bullying, yet it has demonstrated that bullying is most assuredly acceptable. While there is a high tolerance for bullying, the school district has a low tolerance for bad optics, using policy and rights to privacy to sweep issues under the rug. The main aggressor of this attack was bullying my daughter 2 months prior. When reported, we were told that it would be handled. During a call later that day, we
029were told that my daughter was interviewed and that the two girls bullying her were spoken to, and all had agreed that they would sign no contact agreements later that day. Quote, "I'm actually pulling up the papers for that now. Oh, it looks like she main bully has already signed four or five others so far this year." I was then assured that because of this, a hard line was being drawn, and this girl was fully aware that one more incident would lead to serious consequences. We had nothing to worry about. My daughter was still coming home each day worried that she was going to be jumped. I gave her my word that this school was looking out for her and her best interests. The day after this fight, my daughter came home and showed me the
030video being shared of a girl being jumped from behind. "That one is the girl I've been telling you was going to jump me." pointing to one of the aggressors. I was furious. I would later discover that prior to being attacked, said victim had also signed a no contact agreement with one of these bullies. So, this would have been number five, perhaps number six. So, where was the hard line approach? If this had been properly handled, this child wouldn't have been attacked because the bully would no longer be attending the junior high. I wanted answers from the school. When I was contacted back, I discussed being told about the other student having four or five no contacts before signing one for my daughter, and Mr. Campbell's real concern seemed to be that the bully's privacy was
031being violated because I was told this. Well, I'm glad that it was exposed, and I'm glad that I finally discovered the game of mock the monk that this school plays rather than addressing bullying. The aggressor's right to privacy is used as an excuse to lack transparency transparency in the handling of the issue. The corner of the rug gets neatly lifted, and the lack of consequences and bad optics swept right under it. I was told that the no contact isn't really for bullying or to prevent it. Quote, "It's mostly used for when a friendship's hours." Mr. Campbell told me. Well, my child was never friends with this bully. So, why was it used? Again, an easy placebo that masquerades as a remedy with zero consequence handed down to the bully. Believe me, I'm an unapologetic liberal
032with a comically soft heart. I would love nothing more than for a troubled child to be given chances to see the error of their ways and to come out of it better for it, reborn as a model student. But, we know that that rarely happens and we shouldn't be rolling the dice with the safety and education of all of our other children hoping that it will. I'm sad to say that some children don't have parents that take a real interest in them, let alone their education. They become our burden to bear when they're at school. Discipline and action falls on the school since it isn't happening at home. When you fail that child, you fail every other child attending school with them. You failed my child. You failed Elsie, the child that was assaulted. And
033you failed the bullies that will suffer legal consequences because the school made them believe that their actions were tolerable. You co-signed on the assault of that poor girl when you gave the perpetrators run of the school ignoring the threatened warning for the past 7 months. How embarrassing. How irresponsible and how vile. If the school board wants to know the first step in addressing bullying, it's firing Mr. Campbell. Is there anybody else who would like to speak? If so, please step forward and share your name with us. And in fairness, and I should have pointed out, we're not here to point out individuals. This isn't a forum to attack individuals, just so we're clear. Thanks. Good evening, everyone. My name is Lawrence L. Poole Jr. My son graduated from here. Me and the family, we moved
034here 9 years ago. We came here because at a time, Altoona seemed like a safe place to come to. But, in the 9 years that I've been here, I have noticed the bullying of students. Now, my son is already in college, so he's gone. But, to see other kids in the community being bullied, what y'all need to do, first offhand, everybody just bow your head. So, we we're going to pray for this. We're about to pray for this. And the reason why I say we got to pray for this because a little girl was hurt. Number one. And y'all didn't even acknowledge that. How dare you? How dare you? Can you find it in y'all hearts to stop letting these kids bully the other kids? There's a thing that y'all can start. It's called safe
035passage. And that involves parents, community, the police, the You make safe passages. When you know that these children are being bullied, you give them routes that they walk. These routes have adults that come out on their porch, sit in their cars, and you watch these kids. You make sure that they get home. You get up in the morning, you make sure they get to school. I brought my son, Alex, and the two Lambourn sons. I drove those boys to school every morning, and then I also picked them up. Because where I come from, Cleveland, Ohio, me and my family had to leave because I had to watch my nephew die at the hands of a police officer. His name was Tamir Rice, for those who don't know. When Alex first came here, he was dealing
036with the trauma of seeing his cousin blown away. We came here, you know, this is safe. This is getting away from Cleveland. This is getting away from all the hoopla. But, then when I got here, I noticed there's this little hierarchy. There's this little stuff going on. When a kid is being bullied and y'all don't do nothing, that falls on every last one of your heads. That falls on all of your heads. And for you to sit there and act smug, that that's not cool. It's not. I come from a place where bullets fly rampantly. I came here, it's quiet. It's safe, I'm thinking. But, then I start seeing the bullying and nobody doing anything about it. It's like, oh, bully them. If you don't have a certain amount of money, they don't give two
037about you. And that's wrong. It's wrong. Wrong. So, me, I'm telling y'all, y'all got to start doing what's called safe passage. Now, bow your heads, we're going to pray. Heavenly Father, I'm going to ask you at this time to bring healing to our city. Heavenly Father, I'm going to ask you to bring healing to our school system. Heavenly Father, I want you to cleanse the minds of those who seem to turn a blind eye to abuse and do nothing. Tonight, when you go home, I want you to look in the mirror. Each and every individual that can hear my voice right now. Because God made each and every one of us priceless. No one, and I mean no one, is better than the other. Your status in life does not mean you are any better
038than the person who has nothing. Amen. I close. Thank you. Anyone else? Okay. Please uh share your name with us and again, you have 5 minutes. >> My name is Carrie Pierce. I live in Altoona and I've spoken to you guys before about the bullying. My son, who's 25, my eldest child, went to the junior high when they first opened up. They had the bullying issue there. He had his his cell phone that I got him stolen right out the gate, his uh school ID thrown down the sewer, uh followed home, hit in the head with a tree branch, got a concussion, went to the ER. My 19-year-old who graduated a couple years ago, not any problems. He kept his head down, didn't bother anybody. My 17-year-old recently at the high school had one student
039in gym class ask him, "Hey, can we watch you get dressed?" And he didn't want to say anything to me because he is of the feeling, like all my other kids were, "Nobody cares. Nobody's going to do anything about it." My daughter, my youngest, she did attend the junior high for 2 years, went half in person, couldn't handle it. She was terrified of getting jumped. The comments, the whispering, the the name-calling from certain people. So, she went cyber. She's been cyber all year this year. And I lied to her. She wanted to come back in person for the last two marking periods, and I lied to her and I said, "Well, um they want you to finish out this marking period. I want to know you you finish up." Because I'm terrified for her to
040come in. And this last incident that just occurred, something's got to be done. I like the idea of safe passage. I've never heard of that before. I like that. So, I'm asking you guys, cuz I know it's not just all on you. Help us to help you. Tell us what you need from us, the parents, so that we can fix this. So, that I can be comfortable for my daughter to attend the high school next year and not live in fear that she's going to get jumped simply because somebody doesn't like her hair color. Somebody doesn't like that she doesn't talk to them, that she draws, that she watches anime, that she exists. So, I'm asking you guys, how do we help you to help our kids so they are safe? Because zero tolerance, my
041oldest, 25 years old, he started when he was 13, clearly is not working. And I said that to you before. It's not working. And it's not fair. It's not fair to the kids. They shouldn't be scared to come to school. They should feel safe. That's it. Thank you. I know we have at least one more person. Please uh step to the mic and share your name with us. Thanks. My name is Cassandra Smith. Um my son was Keegan Smith Price and he did go to the school district. Um my son has been on both sides where he was bullied and he bullied himself. As a parent, I was proactive in trying to help Keegan um with interventions, mental health services, but by the time they reach the age of 14, they don't have to participate
042in mental health or intervention services, and I think there are so many gaps in the system, not only from the school, but from the mental health point of view, from our judicial system, that we are leaving these kids lost. And I'm speaking from both sides. Like I'm speaking for my son who I felt was let down because we drop our kids off here for 7-8 hours of a day and we trust them in your hands. And I just feel that there are so many gaps in the system that you guys need to collaborate with other entities in this area or seek out hybrid models that have been used in other cities that have had similar issues like this because it is getting worse and I just really think that you guys need to collaborate with
043everyone because it it doesn't take a parent just one parent to raise our kids. It takes a whole uh help me a whole village. It takes a village to raise our kids. And that's all I have to say. Thank you. Would anyone else like to speak? Hey, there was somebody that was planning on coming. She couldn't make it. She sent me what she wanted to say if I were able to read it or someone else read it. Um You you can read it as long as we need to identify the person. Yes. Is that all right? And five within five minutes? All right. Please share with us who this person is. I might be bending the rules here but I I this is important enough that I want you all to feel like you you're
044heard. Thank you. Um she has children in the school district and she is uh Elsie's sister. Her name's Skyler McCallie. Okay. So, members of the school board, I'm standing here today she was going to um not just as a concerned family member but as someone who is deeply outraged, deeply shaken and deeply disappointed. My younger sister Elsie is in sixth grade. She's just 12 years old. She should be worried about homework, friends and growing up, not about being attacked while leaving school. But instead she was violently assaulted, not in secret, not hidden but in broad daylight outside of the very place that is supposed to protect her, a place that we as families are told we can trust. This was not a misunderstanding. This was not kids being kids. This was a targeted physical attack
045carried out by multiple individuals, one of whom she once trusted as a friend for many years. And yes, she suffered whiplash. But let me be very clear, an injury should not have have to be severe for this to matter. But what if it had been? What if it was worse? What if she hit her head the wrong way? What if something about this attack had been tragic? We can sit here and talk about all the what ifs, but the reality is we shouldn't have to. The fact that this situation even reached the point where those questions exist is a problem because this didn't come out of nowhere. Behavior like this builds, it escalates. It grows when it's ignored, minimized or handled without real consequence. And somewhere along the way there was a failure, whether in
046supervision, in intervention or in accountability. And let's be honest, this was not just an attack. It was a heinous crime committed after months of harassment and intimidation. It was filmed, it was shared, it was treated as entertainment. What does this say about culture being allowed to exist? What does it say to every other child watching, whether they're the next victim or the next person deciding whether to step in? Because when violence becomes something to record instead of stop, we're not just dealing with a discipline issue, we're dealing with a complete breakdown of values. I want to ask you something directly. How is it that children can organize, carry out and film an attack on 12-year-old girl right outside your school grounds and the systems in place did not prevent it? And beyond that, what is
047being done to ensure it never happens again? Because policies mean nothing if they're not enforced. Words like zero tolerance means nothing if victims are left feeling unprotected and perpetrators feel im- emboldened. Elsie now has to carry this with her. The fear, the humiliation, the trauma, the knowledge that multiple people surrounded her and chose to hurt her, chose to watch or most importantly that she was failed to have any protection or safety provided to her. It doesn't just go away. That follows a child into the classroom, into their sleep and into how they see the world around them. And while this may be one incident to this board, to us it's something that shouldn't ever be forgotten. So, I'm asking real No, I'm asking no, I am demanding real accountability. I demand consequences that reflect the
048seriousness of what happened. I demand transparency so families know exactly how situations like this are handled. And I'm demanding a real actionable plan, not a vague reassurance, the plan that ensures supervision, intervention and protection are not just promised but practiced. Because right now the message being sent, whether intentional or not, is that this can happen and life simply moves on. That's unacceptable. Every child in the district deserves to feel safe, not just on paper but in reality. Next time it could be worse. Next time it could be tragic. And no family should have to stand here asking why something wasn't done sooner. Elsie did exactly what we teach our children to do. Speak up, ask for help and trust the adults responsible for our children's safety. This was reported in written statements. Nothing was done.
049Do better. Not just for Elsie but for every single child who walks through those doors trusting that the adults in charge will protect them. Thank you. Skyler McCallie. Thanks. Okay. Any Is there anyone else? Uh we really want to make sure everybody feels like like they're heard. Um Brad probably wants to say something. Um I would just share from from the board perspective. I'm not going to make any excuses. Um you know, I spoke to uh I think Casey um in person. Uh I always mention that any of us are approachable. We have uh publicly available email addresses. I respond to everybody who contacts me. I spoke to her not long after this happened. Um we're not smug. We have children. Uh you know, I have some personal experience in this world that uh that
050you are all feeling. I don't want to go too far because I don't want to violate my children's privacy, but um so to think we sit here smug, we we we don't accept what happened. We want to do better. Um we're we were all appalled at the video. And immediately after that um we allowed Brad to pay staff to stay uh manned an extra 15 minutes at the end of school every day at the junior high and the high school. This is a board that approved um putting armed guards in every school. Um approved uh camera coverage. We we have a lot of video of of everything that happens. Not always perfect, but um we've tried to be as as proactive as we can. Um what I've found since, you know, and this isn't a
051board that's been doing this this long. We're not like you know, Kelly might be the longest serving member of this board. What I've come to find since joining this board is that the bureaucracy associated with delivering education is horrendous. A lot of these a lot of a lot of these things fall to due process and the bureaucracy that comes down from Harrisburg and Washington. Um we have some local authority to do do some stuff, but at the end of the day, you know, it's like any other thing that's going on out there. Some sometimes the perpetrators are have more protection than than the victims, unfortunately. It's not right or it's not right, but but you know, uh I think you have to make your voice heard at the federal and state level also, not just
052us. Um but um we care deeply about what's going on. Trust me. You know, we have a I have a couple more years serving on this board. I don't know if I'll ever run again or not. I hope to never be back here again. You know, I hope I really do. That's that's the goal. But you know, this stuff has been going on throughout the history of mankind. [clears throat] We're going to do our best. We're going to continue to do our best. You can engage us on uh you know, via email. We will meet with you. Whatever you want to do. If any of you think you have a solution, um we're we're glad to listen to you. So, from our perspective, um we have great compassion for the children. Uh I feel horrible
053We felt horrible seeing that video. And um you know, we spent a weekend um trying to address it. Brad acted quickly. Uh by Monday we probably had 10 teachers staying later at at each site just to monitor things. Um but no excuses. We'll continue to try and and um make things better. And please, if you have any suggestions or ideas, share them with us. It A lot of this comes down to parenting, too. You know, it's it's a two-way street here. So, um I appreciate your courage in in standing up and owning it tonight really very brave. So, that being said, we're all approachable. We all want We're all on the same page as you. Um we work well with the administration. If you're unhappy with somebody there, let's let's let's work together to make
054it better and um that's all I really have to say. So, Brad, if you'd like to say anything. No, I appreciate it, Val. And and again, I want to reiterate, you're not going to find a more supportive board when it comes to providing safety and security and a positive learning environment for our students. Uh they commit resources, they commit support, and I other than than one person who doesn't have children, everyone sitting at this table has had children or has children in the Altoona Area School District. Some of which have spouses that work in the Altoona Area School District and have are teachers in the Altoona Area School District. I have children 16, 20, and 22. And and we've all been through this and it's not easy. Society is making parenting more and more and
055more challenging and difficult. Unfortunately, incidences like this speak to our society and our culture and it's something that we have to try to change and we can only do that together. That that's a collaborative effort between students, parents, our teachers, our counselors, outside agencies, our administrators, our leadership. Cannot stress the importance of communication. And without getting into details, there were scenarios and circumstances during this and other events that I believe could have been avoided had all of our communication been better. And again, we we can reiterate time and time again the importance of communicating with your teachers, communicating with schools, communicating with local law enforcement. We collaborate with local law enforcement on a regular basis because incidences that happen in the school typically don't originate in the school. Incidences that are going on at home
056or in the community ultimately can impact kids at school. Being a kid is tough. Being a young person is getting more and more difficult with the distractions, the challenges, and the perversions that are available to them. It's at their fingertips 24 hours a day. And I I I would challenge any community member, parent, or otherwise that does not recognize the challenge of keeping up with the dangers that are right in front of our kids each and every day and the negative influences that they see on social media, on their phones, on cable television, on streaming access. It is not the world that I grew up in. It is not the world that any of you have grown up in. And without partnership between the home and the school, we will continue to have challenges with
057preventing incidences of this nature. When I saw, and it was literally the day of, the incident that took place, I was mortified. And what we all initially think of, we think of our own, selfishly. What if that was my child on either end? I The fact that you're here tonight is is unbelievably applaudable to acknowledge and own that responsibility. And it is a responsibility of each and every one of us, every educator that signs up to do what we do, which is care for first and foremost care for the safety and well-being of our children before we educate them, before we teach them anything. And part of what we're doing each and every day is a commitment to making sure that they understand value systems and right from wrong and being a leader and standing
058up for what is right. That's embedded pre-K through 12 in every one of our students on a daily basis. Unfortunately, we don't We don't stop everything. We don't. I would love to be able to sit here and tell you and guarantee you that this kid won't use inappropriate language. This kid won't act inappropriately. This kid won't make a poor choice. I can't do that. What I can promise you is that we will work tirelessly on a daily basis to collaborate with parents and students in the community to create an environment that doesn't allow for something like this to ever occur. And again, don't want to get into details. Our heart goes out to to Mrs. Mayberry and Elsie. When I met with her the other day, unbelievably sweetheart of a kid. Heartbroke to see that
059little girl sit there and express the feelings that she was having about kids approaching her about the incident and and continually seeing the video on social media or otherwise, hearing some of the the chatter from other kids, and even a harmless questioning from another student that reminds her of what had happened. And again, we can all do better all the time. Parents, students, teachers, administrators, every one of us. I tell my people all the time you cannot over-communicate. You cannot over-communicate. Calling when when when maybe you think, "Ah, I really don't I can let this go. I don't really need to call." is is is critical. We have to work together to make this better. We have to work together to make sure that these kind of things do not become pervasive, do not become
060indicative of a community. The gentleman that was here and left, you know, was talking about, you know, other areas that and I didn't think Altoona was like that. The last thing that we ever want is for Altoona to be labeled as such. And unfortunately, it's not just here. Every school community, every community experiences challenges with child conflict, with students being mean, with students acting and behaving inappropriately, parents that that are working two jobs and maybe aren't as present as they need to be to pro- provide constant supervision of what their children are doing, and they're getting better and better at hiding it. Who really Who here can really say that they know what their kids are doing on their phone, how they're communicating with one another? Cuz if you can, I'd love to learn from
061you. Because I have a 16, 20, and 22-year-old, and I can tell you I'm nowhere near as good as as as I need to be. It is an It is a challenge that is becoming more and more and more difficult, and unfortunately, it is changing how our kids grow up. And again, it's something that we need to work on together. I stress the communication piece. We can't throw every kid that does something inappropriate out of school. We can't. We are a public educational institution. We have to try to educate every student while making everyone feel sta- safe and able to do so in their own way. We have to work together. And and that would be my message tonight first, sincere apologies for as a parent what Miss Mayberry and Elsie had to go through,
062for whatever your experiences were with your child and the threats or the other the and and and for your experiences. And I've worked with Mr. Wolsey on a number of other incidences. And and I'm aware of the challenges that are brought to his attention on a regular basis. It's not easy being a parent, being a child, being an It's not easy and it's not getting any easier. The more that we work together and become solution-based, the better that we are all going to be for our kids. And that's what everyone sitting here is here for. We are here for our children to make sure that when they get through and they leave us, they have the skills, the confidence, and the ability to do what they want to do in life. Whatever that may be.
063Whatever that looks like. And that's our charge. And that's a charge that I believe that we have to partner with all of our stakeholders on. So again, I welcome every one of you to come and meet with me individually or as a group to share ideas and talk about what you think maybe we need to look at. I'll give you a perfect example. Mr. Mignogna and I have been talking for a number of months about having a mentoring system for our young men. We have many young men that don't have male influences in their lives. And that leads to a lot of challenges on how to act in junior high school and in high school, how to be respectful. Our young ladies need similar. Having role models, positive role models, positive examples on a daily
064basis to be able to share with our kids is vital. And we need to own that. And you have my word that we will own that. We had a role in what happened to your daughter. Fully accept that. I don't believe that casting blame is the direction to go anywhere. I think we all need to acknowledge and recognize that we can do better on all levels, and I believe it starts with communication. So, that's what I'm asking for. I'm asking for more frequent, more positive, and more transparent communication on all levels. I publicize my personal cell phone number. You can call me anytime. I take calls at midnight, 2:00 in the morning, 3:00 in the morning. I've been at kids' houses at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 in the morning to make sure that they're okay. Do
065it on a regular basis. Bill Pipher gets called out at least two to three times a week in the middle of the night to go do a safety check on a child. I hope you know that at the forefront of everyone that works in this school district is your children. Cuz if it's not, you have my word, they won't be here real long. That is the charge. And again, we apologize for what your your daughter has gone through. We want to continue to work with you on whatever the next steps are to help with that healing process and to identify, you know, what what what we can do and what options we can look at to help her feel more comfortable in returning to school. Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. That again, thanks for
066the dialogue. I think it was very productive tonight. Let's not let it stop this evening. Um but now we have to get on to the real exciting part of tonight and I would advise you to probably leave cuz it gets boring after this. Thank you. But uh We'll give you a minute that if anyone wants >> Yeah, if anyone wants to leave, they can leave and then we'll we'll continue with the business meeting piece of the piece of the >> You could stay if you'd like, but I promise you will be bored. If you left your name and phone number at the sign-in, I I will reach out to each of you tomorrow um to follow up on tonight. Thank you. Okay, we got the real diehards left now. All right, we're ready to roll
067here. Um next on the agenda is approving uh the meeting minutes from our uh regular school board meeting of March 18th and under B, approval of the committee of the whole meeting minutes from March 30th, 2026. Do I have a motion to approve those minutes? Do I have a second? Any discussion? All in favor of approving the minutes from those two meetings, please signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Next, under finance six, uh we were provided a list of payments, uh financial report, the tax collection report to be more specific, and see a robust list of drama honorariums. So, I'm seeking a motion to approve items six A through B or A through C. Do I have a second? Any discussion? I'll just provide my regular update of our uh how much
068we spend on cyber charter. For the record, looks like we spent around $629,000 uh on cyber charter, which represented almost 12% of the payments we made in the month. Um a pretty significant portion of those went to one in particular, Commonwealth Cyber Charter Academy, who's building the several ten million dollar building out by the Ramada. Um so, they're doing pretty well. Um Anybody else like to discuss anything on that? All right. All in favor of approving items six A through C, please signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Under seven, policy, we had a host of uh final readings. Um 105.2, exemption from instruction, 122, extracurricular activities, 20 122.1, non-curriculum related non-school sponsored student initiated groups, 204, attendance, 218.1, weapons, 610, purchases subject to bid quotation, 611, purchases budgeted, 626, federal fiscal compliance,
069uh 626, attached federal programs, uh 805, emergency emergency preparedness and response, safe to say something procedures, 805.1, relations with law enforcement agencies, 805.2, school security personnel, and 817, district social media. Um seeking a motion to approve the second and final reading of all of those policies. Thank you, Michael. Do I have a second? Anybody like to discuss any of these policies? We we dealt with them in a policy committee meeting. Okay. All in favor of approving item seven A, please signify by saying I. I. Anyone opposed? Motion carries. Under eight, uh administration requests, approval of the annual contribution to Blair County Department of Social Services student assistance program in the amount of $1,000. B, contracted services agreement as the set builder and backstage supervisor for the Altoona Area Junior High School spring musical. Under C,
070contracted service agreement as the head costumer for the junior high spring musical. Uh Under C, contracted service agreement as the head costumer. I Did I read that once before? Okay. We'll move on to D. D, there's two Sparacinos, that's why I did that. Um D, hearing officer requests, approval to retain Terry Despot Esquire as hearing officer for the '26-'27 school year at the rate of $175 per hour. Under E, administration requests approval of the attached cooperative agreement with Mount Aloysius College to provide dual enrollment opportunities for students at Altoona Area High School for the '26-'27 school year. Under F, administration requests approval of the attached letter of agreement between the Altoona Area School District and Eastern University regarding field experience student teaching placement and internship practicum practicum experience. Under G, administration requests approval of the
071attached list of volunteers, all clearances and TB tests have been received. Under H, administration requests approval of the attached elementary field trips. And under I, approval of secondary field trips. Seeking a motion to approve items eight A through I. Do I have a second? Michael. Would anybody like to discuss any of these items? Okay. All in favor of approving items eight A through I, please signify by saying I. I. Anyone opposed? Motion carries. Under nine, uh administration recommends the approval of the attached personnel items. I was asked to withdraw item G, nurse one and two. Okay. From the from the agenda on page 10, so um we are voting on everything on the personnel agenda items except for item G, nurse one and two. Do I have a motion to approve the personnel agenda items?
072I'll second to get things going here. Um Would any Would you like to discuss any of these items? Okay. All in favor of approving item nine A, please signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Under 10, um we have A, administration recommends the approval to renew the dental agreement with the Pennsylvania State Education Association Health and Welfare Fund. Renewal rates are as follows. The '26-'27 dent- dental monthly budget rates are as follows. Single, $23.52. Employee plus uh plus one, $45. Family, $68.74. Cobra rates are as follows. Single, $23.99. Employee plus one, $45.90. Family, $70.11. And an administration fee of $2.70 per employee per month. Under B, we were asked to approve uh the capital reserve list of payments. Under C, we were provided uh with one driver uh to approve for amp train
073for the '25-'26 school year contingent upon receipt of all required clearances and forms. Under D, administration requests and recommends approval of the attached contract from 220 Studios to provide photography services for secondary clubs and athletics for the '26-'27, '27-'28, and '28-'29 school years. Under E, administration [clears throat] remec- recommends to award Lechner Lawn Care package number three and Link Lawn Care package number two for the grass cutting, shrub, and tree maintenance for the '26-'27, '27-'28, and '28-'29 school years. Under F, administration requests and recommends approval of the proposal from Metz Culinary Management to extend the food service management company contract for the 26-27 fiscal year. And under G, administration requests and recommends approval to enter into an agreement with Tectonic Health Incorporated to provide in-home and virtual health care services to employees as part of
074a voluntary elective option in district health care plans. The agreement is pending solicitor approval. So, I will be seeking a motion to approve items 10 A through G. Do I have a second? Any discussion on any of these items? >> yeah, just for for D, could we could we just make sure that there's some specifics on like um you know, backdrop, pricing, like all that kind of stuff. I mean, it's I don't know if it's too late to discuss that, but It will be part of the agreement. We're also looking at as we had discussed the possibility of doing in-game photo opportunities with various putting that out for various sports um sports teams as well. This would be for your your seasonal photos that would go into programs, that would be for your your Right.
075>> pictures that would go home to the families, those kind of things. A ver- a variety of packages with with a variety of pricing options as well, with a digital option to be able to purchase licensing options as well. So, Okay. um absolutely. And again, we are still It just takes time. So, I just want to make sure that it's going to Mhm. be equitable for the parents. >> Yep. And and we've already discussed um I think we had discussed previously seasonal meeting media days um where photos would be taken at appropriate venues uh for the teams. So, that will be planned in well in advance, and that'll be directed by uh the athletic department, and we'll make sure that we collaborate on that. I I think there are package um prices in here, too.
076So, I don't I don't know if that's the for the longevity, but um I can see the photography services and the prices for the different packages and the a la carte items. Yeah. There is an attachment that has the details of the contract. >> spend this this season. Uh it looks like the packages range from $20 to $35. So, I'm not sure what the prices were this year cuz I can't remember, but The the concerns uh some of the concerns were more about a la carte items, um statuettes, things of that nature, key rings, like those kind of things that were add-on items that they were uh We we've discussed that. We've we've worked with Mr. Myers and 22 Studios on these pieces. If I may on that, some parents were complaining the prices went
077up on some of I don't know all the details, but some said it got a little more expensive. Just quoting some what parents of athletes complained about. That's what I'm referring to. >> Yeah, I figured. I just want to make sure we had clarity on that. Yes. Okay, anyone else? Okay, all in favor of approving items 10 A through G, please signify by saying I. I. Anyone opposed? Motion carries. Okay, we'll move on to 11 new business, two items here. Um The Altoona Area School District Athletic Office requests approval for the Altoona Area Baseball Association Little League to use Ebner Elementary Field from April through June 2026 for the purpose of Little League baseball practice. Rental agreement contingent on receiving certificate of insurance from AABA. The AAS The AASD Athletic Office also requests approval of
078the Altoona Area School District Athletic Council minutes from the March 30th 2026 meeting. And under B, administration requests permission to contract with an engineering firm to design and provide a construction estimate for a renovation project at Mansion Park Baseball Stadium and Independent Youth Baseball Field. The base proposal will include turf installation and corresponding drainage systems, new fencing, spectator stands, and press box restroom concession structure. Alternate additions may include new lighting and parking pavement. The project will provide improved and low-maintenance fields for the Altoona Area School District baseball and softball programs. Uh engineering cost to be paid from the 2025-26 operating budget. Do I have a motion to approve items 11 A and B? Do I have a second? Thank you. Would anybody like to discuss items 11 A or B? Okay, just verify for me
079here. What do you What does it mean by the engineering cost to be paid from the operating budget? Is that From for our specs of what we want, or What we're contracting for is to work with an engineering firm to design um design the project and plan, but then also look at our ground considerations, property considerations, with wiring, plumbing, all those pieces to generate a potential quote for the scope of the project that builds the baseball field and the Independent Youth Baseball Field. It's to get estimates. This isn't like to go out to approve the project and or any specifics. Basically, we will work with them on desired engineering and design, what we're what we're looking for at those two properties. They will design and then be project manager in the event that the project
080comes to fruition uh comes to fruition. Okay. So, do we have like a We have money in our current budget for that. We have money in the 25 our current 25-26 budget to to cover those costs. You want an estimate cost? Yeah. 20 to 30. Okay. Anyone else? Okay. All in favor of approving items 11 A and B, please signify by saying I. I. No on B. Okay. Motion carries with Kelly on a no with B. Okay. Moving on. Uh any committee chair reports? Er I just to clarify for B going back, um does it does it mention in there about softball? That this that this would The Independent Youth Baseball Field Yeah, I just want to make sure that's what it is. >> utilized as a varsity softball field. Um turfing a a potential
081turfing project at that field, that would become the home of the the var- the high school softball team. >> Right, which would then give them access to lights, press box, bathrooms. Basically, it would be a mini version >> be a major upgrade for them. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. They actually just upgraded their lights. We'd be looking at more of of fencing, dugouts, all of the other pieces mentioned here, but lighting wouldn't wouldn't need to be one of them. I just want to clarify that it it this will benefit both the [snorts] baseball and softball programs. Absolutely. >> [sighs] >> Okay, so no committee chair reports. You've heard enough of me, so I will not provide a board president's report. But we got Camille. Let's hear from you. Good evening, board members. Here are some recent and
082upcoming events in the school district as the year is coming to an event-filled end. As we are nearing the midpoint of April, students are preparing for their advanced placement tests, which will take place in early May. Student Council spring blood drive, which took place on Thursday, April 9th during school, was very successful. 69 students and teachers donated blood, yielding 38 usable units, which will be able to save up to 114 lives. The spring fling dance for 9th and 10th graders will be held on Friday, April 17th. Tickets can be purchased for $5 in B311 before or after school. The spring musical, The Secret Garden here at AHS, was very successful with performances being held April 9th to 11th. Elementary nights of music will be held at the beginning of May at the various elementary schools.
083Dates and more information can be found on the school district calendar. There are also many spring concerts coming up the junior high and the high school in late April and early May. Dates and more information can also be found on the school district calendar. The National Art Honor Society will take a field trip to tour Carrie Blast Furnace and Pittsburgh Glass Center on Wednesday, April 15th. Students will get the opportunity to work with graffiti art and glass making. Astronomy Club and Foreign Language Club are taking their end of the year field trip on April 16th to Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, and Junior and Senior Executive Committee is taking their trip the same day to a Pirates game. The boys baseball team placed second in the Curve Classic. Juniors and seniors were invited to attend
084on opening day during the school day. I was able to attend it, and it was really nice and awesome to support our teams, and it was a lot of fun. Quill and Scroll Honor Society induction will be held on April 20th, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. And National Honor Society induction will be held April 15th at 6:00 p.m. Finally, the Altoona Area School District Art Show for grades pre-K to to grade will be held in the Science commons on May 13th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Um this year an artist will there will be an artist market and silent auction. Thank you. Okay, thanks for sharing all the good stuff with us. We appreciate it. All right, Mr. Hatch. I spoke at length as well, so I'll be very brief. Um again, Ms. Krug highlighted some
085of the different activities, award ceremonies, concerts, athletic events. You can find something every day of the week um from now to the end of the year to go out and celebrate our students and our teachers and our coaches, advisors. Our kids continue to amaze me. Um the Secret Garden just just uh that you probably heard them here this evening. They were having their cast party and and and award ceremony tonight. I hope you didn't get the you had to miss the whole thing. No, I was there for most of it, but I had to leave like 5 minutes early. Um but again, I I just want to encourage our community get out and really celebrate what we have here in the Altoona Area School District, and I'd be remiss if I didn't thank all of
086our staff members, administrators uh for what you do every day and and bringing it to to provide a quality educational experience in a safe learning environment for our students. So, thank you for everything you're doing on a daily basis. Um continue doing what you're doing. Thank you. Okay, thanks. Do we have an employee unions response? Middle management. Our solicitor, anything to share? Okay. Then I think we are down to seeking a motion to adjourn the meeting. Do I have a second? All right, all in favor, please signify by saying aye.