Two members of the public spoke during the public-input period at the Taunton School Committee meeting on Oct. 1, offering personal testimony that led the committee to accept a referral to administration.

Audrey Rees told the committee she was attending primarily to say thank you after a conversation with a committee member and to express appreciation for recent language changes that affected students. Rees said the changes had a direct impact on her son, who "is finally in a classroom of his peers" and is now enjoying middle school. "He's having so much fun because he's with children that are at his level," she said, and she thanked the committee for "stepping up to the plate" and for the language change that "really made a big difference to a lot of people I am associated with."

Later, Annie Stamper, a parent of an 11-year-old at Freeman Middle School, told the committee she had not encountered "one person of color" or a male teacher across three of her son's schools and asked the committee about the district's stance on diversity. Committee members declined to engage substantively from the dais during public input and instead moved to refer the comment to administration. "A motion to refer to administration would be in order," a committee member said; the motion passed unanimously, and the superintendent's office agreed to follow up with Stamper directly.

The public-input portion was conducted under the notice the committee provided referencing Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 39, Section 23C, which requires speakers to state name and address for the record and sets parameters for public input. The committee's referral will prompt administrative follow-up, per the motion.

Both commenters addressed personnel and program matters from a personal perspective; the committee did not undertake any policy decisions at the meeting in response but directed staff to follow up.