Parents unleash on ESM school board over handling of ammunition discovery

EAST SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — After waiting for over two hours at Monday night’s ESM board meeting, parents didn’t hold back about what happened Friday.

“I sat back all weekend, crying with my child, begging him to come back to come back to school today because he deserves a fair education,” said Beth Snow, who has a son at Pine Grove Middle School. “He is scared to come back and every one of your children should be.”

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Snow was one of many parents at the meeting who felt the school district did not do enough to protect their children.

“We deserve to be heard as the parents of these students. We deserve more answers than what you gave us,” yelled one parent.

The superintendent and police chief, are legally limited about how much they can say but were able to praise the students who found the bullets.

“What a phenomenal job. Not only was I impressed,” said Manlius Police Chief Jason Cassalia. “They don’t want problems at school. They want to go on and do their thing.”

Parents complained not enough was done by the district to alert them and to make sure no one was in danger.

“You have no way of knowing what was in the school at the time the ammunition was found,” said one parent. “There should have been a lockdown, there should have been a sweep of the school.”

“I personally do not want this student back in school,” said another parent. “He’s just going to see it as a slap on the wrist and who knows what else will happen?”

David Argiro kept his daughter home from school Monday, telling us he’d brought up safety and security concerns to the board before this incident.

“You have got to step up and stand your ground and take care of this school,” he said to the board. “Everyone is sick of it. I don’t want to hear anything else except what’s changing.”

One thing parents did agree with, was the increased police presence at Pine Grove Middle School the rest of the week.

While it was determined no criminal charges could be filed, the student is subject to school disciplinary action.

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