Elmbrook Board Member Deeply Offends Community By Claiming She Knows Best for Children with Special Needs
Video shows Preetha Kurudiyara, who was arrested and cannot have in person contact with her own children, claiming to have the best interest for students with special needs while dismissing concerns.
A meeting on 3/11/24 discussing the possible relocation of Fairview South drove a parent of a severely disabled child to tears and deeply offended others in attendance.
Fairview South is a unique resource in the Elmbrook community dedicated to children that do not thrive in traditional classrooms. Fairview South serves “students with significant intellectual disabilities, students who are medically fragile and students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Given these students’ complex needs, this school can be life-changing for the families and children that are able to use it.
Elmbrook is considering moving Fairview South to a smaller facility on North Avenue. Unlike the current location, which is more secluded, the location on North Avenue is on a busy four-lane boulevard.
The move to North Avenue would also displace a local pre-K and Kindergarten school, which also raised the question among community members if Elmbrook may be using this potential move to not only reduce services to the most vulnerable student population, but also attempt to boost enrollment in their 4K & Kindergarten classes.
Parents and community members attending the meeting were shocked to hear Board member Preetha Kurudiyara’s comments that came off as both arrogant and ignorant of the needs of students who benefit from Fairview South. Preetha stated:
“I’m also in support of option 1, and I will say this as a pediatrician, I think one of the most important things that we can provide for our students with special needs is a connection to their peers and connection to peer-related events and I think the location of Fairview South unfortunately does not allow for that. I wish it did but it doesn’t. I think that having a location in proximity to the high school, in proximity to age-related peers is important. I do believe that’s why I would choose that option, and I do believe with renovations can allow it to be a state of the art facility that our students can thrive in.”
Board member Sam Hughes’s response:
“Sorry Preetha, my daughter, she does so much better in a smaller facility around less peers, so that might be a selective group of people, but if you’ve not seen the children at Fairview South they are, I don’t think they’re necessarily missing out by not being next to the big building, in fact, that could case even more disruption, so—”
Preetha interrupts:
“Sam, they are not at the high school, I just think the proximity and the ability to share in things like homecoming, or whatever it might be. I think that that would be really important. To be able to have the BC band come over, to play for the students that are at North Avenue, if they are there, I think that that’s a really important thing to consider, and I think that despite all the discussion, as a pediatrician, I think that most of the medical community would agree with me.”
Sam responds:
“So, you’re going to make this big decision based on the off chance that the BC band might come over once a year and play with them?”
Preetha’s answer:
“I’m making my decision, and I’m stating this, because my concern is the best interest of the students.”
Board member Kathy Lim interjects, referencing the proposed location Preetha feels is in the best interest of students:
“Next to the shop, and the garage and the tool shed.”
Expanded video clips with additional information captured on 3/11/24 available here and linked via the picture below.
Recent Elmbrook History with Fairview South & Students with Special Needs
The actions of Elmbrook’s district leadership involving Fairview South and students with special needs have been raising eyebrows since at least 2012.
COVID Testing
On 10/18/21, the Elmbrook administration notified families and staff via email that they would be conducting COVID testing at Fairview South. Since Fairview South serves the most medically fragile students, this decision immediately gave community members concern since the district would be sending potentially ill individuals to the same facility as the most vulnerable students.
After community outcry to this decision, Elmbrook ended up moving its testing site.
Special Education Review by ICS for Equity
In 2012, Superintendent Mark Hansen brought in ICS for Equity, who worked with the district from 2012 - 2021. In their Special Education review from 2013, Elise Frattura, co-founder of ICS for Equity, recommended that “Elmbrook will make a strong effort to serve all students in the schools and classroom they would attend if they did not have a disability."
The application of ICS recommendations appeared to be confirmed when Tanya Fredrich (Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning) was interviewed for The Inclusion Podcast on 3/8/2019 where she discussed “equitable systems” and implementing inclusion in Elmbrook.
During the podcast, Tanya’s remarks about teachers that may disagree with 100% inclusion for 100% of the kids with IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) concerned community members. Tanya stated that a conversation with a teacher not supporting 100% inclusion involves telling that educator (at 24:17) ”it might be time for them to think about envisioning their future differently.”
Adding to this rigid viewpoint on what’s best for students, Glassdoor reviews, especially for special education staff, echo serious frustrations.
Finally, graduation rates for students with IEPs have plummeted - going from 95.77% in 2010 to 67.35% in 2019, which is the most recent data from DPI.
Preetha’s History In and Out of Elmbrook
Recent Arrest & Criminal Charges
As reported 11/30/23 in the Waukesha Freeman, Preetha was charged on 11/22/23 for domestic abuse, disorderly conduct and use of a dangerous weapon.
Per the Journal Sentinel: "Kurudiyara's husband told police he was in an abusive relationship with Kurudiyara and said there had been previous incidents in which Kurudiyara was the aggressor. He did not report the prior incidents to police, the complaint said."
The Freeman notes that when police responded to the incident, "the officer noticed Victim A’s hands were covered in blood and on his pants and shirt. An emergency room doctor said the CAT scan showed fractures in his nose."
Preetha entered a plea of not guilty to her charges. Details from case 2023CM002001 show that Preetha is only allowed contact via text with her children.
2023 Candidate Forum
In 2023, (then candidate) Preetha was the Director of Communications for Parent Network. That year Parent Network quietly decided not to host the Board Candidate Forum due to having to respond to questions and complaints regarding their process of hosting the event in the past. Some community members pointed out that Preetha, as Director of Communications of Parent Network, did not appear to communicate Parent Network’s choice to cease hosting the event.
Preetha Kurudiyara did not attend the 2023 Board Candidate Forum, but exchanged emails with Superintendent Mark Hansen after the event. Preetha called her name being mispronounced “disrespectful and reprehensible” and stated that “we all deserve respect.”
As it was, the host who said her name stated “I hope I said that correctly.” Her opponent’s name was also mispronounced.
Medical Background
Preetha frequently mentions being a pediatrician, and included that on her campaign website, although it appears she has not practiced medicine professionally since 2019. The Elmbrook Schools website lists her as a “Community Volunteer.”
She received her medical degree from St. George’s University in Grenada, located in the Caribbean. St. George’s was researched in this NYT piece from 2014 noting its admission of students who may not be able to get into medical school in the United States. It admits lower GPA and MCAT scores than domestic universities at the start. Once in school, the article noted residency matching rates significantly lower of what occurs from domestic medical schools. Being matched into a residency allows students to eventually become a practicing medical doctor.
Preetha’s touting of her medical background on social media is shown below (from 2023).
Preetha was elected to the Elmbrook Board of Education by a slim majority in 2023. Despite her criminal charges and an injunction preventing her from in-person contact with her children, she remains on the Board of Education and is the clerk in charge of this year’s election.