Parent alleges district suppressed school outage communications; board asked for accountability

During public comment at the Feb. 24 board meeting, parent Megan Manguso described a power and communications outage at Roy Gomm Elementary early on Nov. 5 that left alarms, phones and indoor facilities without power. She said the principal told families the district had instructed staff not to communicate the condition and that the principal was later reprimanded for sending an email to families when power was restored.

Manguso said the district’s website later posted a brief note that most parents did not see, and she asked who made the decision to withhold information, why that decision was made, who approved it, and for an apology and a clear remediation plan. She framed the issue as one of accountability and expressed that “will do better” statements previously offered by district leadership are insufficient without named responsibility and corrective action.

The comment was recorded during the public‑comment period; trustees acknowledged receipt of several related emails but did not provide detailed responses or a formal investigation outcome during the meeting. The transcript does not record a specific district denial, named responsible official, or disciplinary action; the claim therefore remained unresolved in the meeting record.

Trustees and district staff should be asked to provide a written response clarifying who made communication decisions during the outage, the operational guidance given to principals, and what steps will be taken to ensure timely parent notification during facility outages in the future.