Board directs Kane to move forward with equity policy

Survey results discusses

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With community survey results on Douglas County School District’s equity policy showing support for the current guidelines, the school board directed Superintendent Erin Kane to move forward with creating an implementation plan.

During the March 28 meeting, Kane told the board she plans to bring forth an implementation plan, also called a regulation, for the equity policy on April 25 that will be informed by feedback from the survey. Kane added that she doesn’t expect to recommend changes to the policy.

“We will be producing a regulation around (the equity policy) and (the regulation) will cover the following areas: academics, student wellness, human resources, resource allocation and parent engagement,” she said.

e district has been discussing potential changes to its equity policy since the board voted 4-3 in January 2022 to direct the superintendent to make recommendations on the policy. e policy states the district will work to provide an inclusive culture and equitable educational opportunities for all students.

In February, the district contracted with Hanover for $75,000 to conduct the survey with the goal of gathering feedback to inform the recommendations.

During the meeting the board also got a presentation from Hanover Research, which conducted the survey and focus groups. Findings were based on responses from 3,970 parents, sta , students and community members, which Hanover determined to be valid participants and not spam respondents. A majority of the participants were parents.

More than half of respondents believe the implementation of the current equity policy would have positive impacts on the district, with 52% saying the policy might contribute to decreased bullying and greater respect among stu-