Parents press Brighton Central School District over special‑education omissions in Council Rock yearbook; board offers follow‑up

A Brighton parent told the Board of Education on May 28 that her child and other students who receive special‑education services were excluded from the general‑education pages of the Council Rock Elementary yearbook.

"Why does it feel like my husband and I's child is not part of that 'every child'?" parent Stephanie Timm asked the board, referencing the district motto "every child, every day, every way." Timm said a service provider had reported regression after school breaks and said the student’s class and some special‑education staff were not pictured in the faculty and staff section of the yearbook. She asked the district for a refund for the yearbook and a written apology to families and special‑education staff who were affected.

Board representatives acknowledged the family's pain and apologized. A board member said the district had "received an update that there have been some actions taken," and invited the parent to meet with administrators, including Dr. McGowan, to discuss possible remedies and to work toward greater inclusivity. Parent Crystal Ellis spoke in support of the family and said she did not believe exclusion was intentional but urged the district to improve processes to prevent oversights: "I don't believe wholeheartedly that exclusion was on purpose," she said.

Administrators and board members said they would follow up directly with the family and staff to review the yearbook process and inclusive practices before next year's publication. No formal refund or timetable for a written apology was recorded on the public record at the meeting.