Parents tell PV Schools board they feel children are unsafe; one requests investigation after alleged poisoning

Several callers used the public comment period to raise safety and personnel concerns, asking the Paradise Valley Unified School District governing board to review specific incidents and district response.

Stacy Harkender (introduced at the start of the public‑comment block) told the board her neurodivergent daughter ‘‘does not feel safe at school’’ and alleged staff at Whispering Wind Academy repeatedly minimized her daughter’s reports and in some cases conducted what Harkender characterized as inappropriate suicide assessments. "Our home is the place that she has a thriving homeschool environment… yet the district repeatedly responds by unsubstantiated child protective service reports," Harkender told the board, urging the district to listen to families and act on safety concerns.

Dr. Kuo (introduced by the president before speaking) asked the board to open a formal district investigation into the conduct of Principal Martha Maynard and district handling of a February 13 incident in which Dr. Kuo said another student induced their child to ingest hand sanitizer while under supervision. "The February 13 poisoning of my child was just one day after my last address to this board… A police report has been filed and the parent of the other student involved have verified the event," Dr. Kuo said, and asked the board to apply the same accountability standards the board used in a previous personnel decision.

Heather Schmidt, president of the Paradise Valley Education Association, addressed the board separately and praised the board's action on superintendent leadership and collaboration; Rosemary Jacob, a special education mentor and PBEA prom boutique co‑chair, invited the community to an upcoming prom boutique to help students.

Because Arizona open‑meeting law limits board response during public comment, board members did not engage substantively with the allegations during the meeting; staff indicated later that they could follow up with individuals as appropriate.

What the transcript shows: claimants said police reports exist and argued for district review; the board did not take public action during the meeting. The allegations are unresolved in the hearing record and would require district investigation or law‑enforcement follow‑up to substantiate or refute.

Sources: remarks by public commenters during the board’s call to the public as recorded in the meeting transcript.