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Several Lincoln County parents are raising concerns about bullying in the school district, saying not enough is being done at the administrative level to prevent it or appropriately respond when it occurs.

On March 27, a group of concerned parents brought their frustrations directly to the Lincoln County Board of Education’s District Advisory Committee, sharing emotional testimonies and calling for action.

“Right now, the system’s failed all of us, so what are we supposed to do?” one parent asked during the meeting. Another parent added, “One child committing suicide is too much, and there are too many kids doing it now for this simple fact.”

This marked only the second meeting for the newly formed advisory committee, which is tasked with gathering feedback from the community and addressing ongoing concerns. However, for many in attendance, the situation felt urgent.

One mother described the lasting effects bullying has had on her seventh-grade son, who is now on a medical homebound plan due to severe anxiety.

“We tried everything. Now, he has a really bad anxiety issue from being around other kids. We take him to the open house, and he shakes like a leaf. Now, he’s medically homebound,” she said.

Another parent detailed how their daughter was physically assaulted at school.

“The girl that assaulted my daughter was suspended for a day. And my daughter ended up with a fractured nose,” he said.

The general sentiment from parents pointed to Lincoln County Middle School as a particular area of concern. Several said that when incidents are reported, the administrative response feels inadequate or dismissive.

Cortney Reed, who has a sixth-grade son, expressed frustration with how incidents are handled.

“What we want you to say, ‘We took care of the bully; they got suspended. We took care of the bully. They got a not home,’ not ‘We investigated; we did what we could,’” Reed said.

Reed shared that her son, now homeschooled, still has to attend school for one hour each day to complete his English class. But even that limited time on campus causes anxiety due to past experiences.

“After one of the bullying incidents involved kids throwing objects at his head and calling him a derogatory term, she’s still worried about him being attacked,” she said.

Committee members responded by acknowledging the concerns and assuring parents that their voices would not be ignored.

“I’m willing to use my voice in whatever way I can to reassure you that we’re going to fight for your kids,” said committee member Nehemiah Wilkinson.

However, district leaders emphasized that meaningful change will take time.

“Just be patient with us. And I know it’s hard sometimes to be patient, but again, it’s going to take us some time to get this all looked at,” said Lincoln County Schools Superintendent Bruce Smith.

Board of Education member Phillip Coots, though not a member of the advisory committee, also attended the meeting and shared that his own children were once victims of bullying.

“We as a district have to do a better job of making sure that our children feel safe and that the parents of those children feel safe. And it takes trust both ways,” said Coots.

To help shape future decisions, families were encouraged to complete a “community input form” with their concerns and suggestions. The submissions will be reviewed during the next advisory committee meeting, scheduled for April 30 at 4:30 p.m.

For the families who attended, the hope remains that sharing their stories will lead to real, lasting change.