Parent tells board ESS open‑campus conditions leave 2,400 students exposed; requests site safety plans

Jessica Neberg, a parent calling in by Zoom, told the La Mesa‑Spring Valley School Board on June 16 that she has raised concerns for years about open‑campus conditions and limited access control during the district’s Extended Student Services (ESS) programs at Murdoch Elementary.

Neberg said the district has invested in locked access, weighted gates, cameras and buzzers for regular instructional hours, but that those protections are not being used during ESS operations. She said the open‑campus conditions affect approximately 2,400 ESS participants and the staff who supervise them, and that she has observed suspicious activity during ESS hours and contacted non‑emergency law enforcement on multiple occasions. She said she asked ESS Director Jennifer Montes and Assistant Superintendent Tina Douglas for site safety plans and has not received ESS‑specific procedures addressing entry/exit or supervision during after‑school hours.

The board did not provide an immediate remedy during public comment. Staff told speakers that questions requiring a response would be referred to the appropriate staff member for follow‑up after the meeting.