Educators tell city council parking fines are forcing students to miss therapy

A council member told the city council that missed physical and speech therapy sessions — even skipping once or twice a week — can have measurable effects on a child’s development and classroom progress. The speaker praised teachers who work with children with disabilities and credited Councilor Murphy for bringing the topic to the hearing.

"This conversation that Council Murphy brought forward is very important because it's about the students," the council member said, urging attention to both students' and teachers' needs.

A witness representing educators closed the hearing and said the administration had not attended to explain current enforcement practices. The witness said educators were not trying to break rules but were seeking a practical way to avoid steep penalties that can interrupt instruction.

"We're penalizing the adults for parking, but we're also hurting children if they can't receive their services," the witness said, arguing that fines, towing and expensive garage fees are uncompensated costs that can lead to lost instructional time. The witness asked the council for a path to "common ground" so teachers can continue serving students without incurring punitive parking expenses.

The hearing record in the transcript does not show any motion, vote or formal action on the issue; next steps were not specified.