Parents press Barstow Unified on bullying and alleged IEP noncompliance, cite staffing shortfalls

At a Barstow Unified parent alliance meeting, multiple parents described ongoing safety and special-education concerns at district schools and asked what the district will do when accommodations are not followed.

One parent said her son, who has an individualized education program and ADHD, had repeated incidents this year and that staff had not enforced his accommodations: "I've had to fight very hard for my son's IEP plan to be enforced," she said. She described children using inappropriate language, physical incidents in front of teachers, a table thrown in a classroom and a student she said continued to cause disruption despite repeated office referrals.

Parents also criticized delayed communication: one said an emergency alert arrived hours after the incident and asked how parents will be informed promptly. Another parent said she watched her child's class for one hour and observed students behaving inappropriately while the teacher struggled to maintain control.

District leaders responded that school-site teams and the district use tiered supports to stop immediate harm, then address follow-up through school teams and administrative processes. Superintendent Diane Spernjic said staff are investigating and that supports such as check-in/check-out and individualized interventions are used: "We have teams at the school sites ... they are putting plans in place or they have plans in place," she said. District staff acknowledged long-standing staffing challenges and ongoing recruitment efforts.

School personnel also explained limits set by law: administrators said certain monitoring (such as staff inside restrooms) is restricted for legal and safety reasons, and that supportive measures and investigations follow required timelines. Officials also urged parents to submit complaints via the district QR code or follow up with principals and district offices for individual cases.

Parents asked how many times they must escalate before effective action is taken; administrators said responses are case-by-case, and if local steps do not resolve the matter, families may appeal to the county office which can provide additional intervention.