Tamara Powell: A father left at the point of tears after a student transfer was denied Monday by the Hope School Board to the parents of a nine-year-old student with Cerebral Palsy, whom the parents claimed had been left unattended after school.The child's mother, Tamara Powell, said her son had Stage 4 bleeding in his brain at birth and his mentality is equal to that of a five-year old at this time.
A motion was made by Viney Johnson to approve the transfer, but it “dies for lack of a second” stated Board President Joe Short.
“I have had several concerns and problems and issues of concern in the past; two happened this year. My biggest one came this year; we've had two incidents since school started. This year, on Sept. 13, a snake was found on his wheelchair, and I understand they can be found anywhere, but then on Oct. 6, my child was left outside, unattended, by himself,” Powell said. Powell said, she understood that her child's aide had gotten to school early and was told to to leave at 2:45, “so she took him outside at the end of Hall 10 and left him” Powell said.
“ To me that is considered child negligence and I want to request to have him released so I can take him into a different district,” she went on.
Hope Superintendent Kenneth Muldrew did not deny the incident, but offered to help the family in any way possible. Just as the parents approached the podium to ask for the transfer, Muldrew did pass out the school choice law to the board members, which is a law that lets the school approve or deny transfers based on racial percentages.
Short asked if the child had been left at the end of Hall 10 outside or inside of the building.
“Outside. When my mother made it through the car line that day to pick him up, there was a lady with him. We leave his motorized wheelchair at the school during the week. When they asked the lady about the chair because they didn't know who she was, she answered 'Honey I just walked up and he was out sitting out here by himself, so I decided to stay with him so he wasn't alone,'” Powell said.
“I was told the lady was a janitor who had walked up and stayed with him, but if anybody had stopped and picked my child up she would not have known if he was supposed to leave with them or not. I understand the teachers are at the other end of the car line where the other kids are. If he would have hit a button wrong on his chair he could have drove out in front of oncoming cars, he could've went off the wrong side of the concrete and flipped over. He can't protect or defend himself. Ants could have crawled all over him and no one would have known it. He was outside at 2:45 and the bell does not ring that early, so he was outside for some time by himself, alone,” Powell said.
New board member Minnie Green questioned the family several times making for a lengthy discussion. Green asked the parents if they saw this as an accidental oversight or if it was purposeful.
“It was accidental, but it was unacceptable,” Powell said.
The student's father, Kevin Potter, also claimed they were unhappy with how their child came home from school, not having been cleaned after his lunch. The parents said the aide does not help him eat, only prepares his meal. They claimed he had false grades.
“His report card on line today says he can write in cursive; he can't,” the parents said.
Powell said she had spoken with Assistant Superintendent Charlotte Britton on the matter before approaching the board and Britton responded, “'I do not know why you think he would need an aide in a motorized chair,'” Powell said.
Powell said she became angry after that meeting and walked out. Powell said she had been told that washing his face could be put in his IEP. An IEP, individualized education plan, required by federal law, is worked out with special education administrators and the parents for the child's goals and procedures for the year.
“They say they can put those things in his IEP; to me that is common sense, for a handicap child you shouldn't have to be told you have to wash his face,” Powell said.
Muldrew said the school makes recommendations and are guided by the law, the School Choice Act.
“We apologize, and I think there was miscommunication that day he was left outside because the needs of another child was being met. I do not know what his IEP says, butI think we are following his IEP,” Muldrew said.
Muldrew also said the parents can request a meeting anytime related to the child's plan.
The parents, Potter and Powell, say they will seek the help of an attorney. Potter stated he did not feel like it was safe to let his child go back to Clinton Primary School.
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