Speakers press UCPS to address funding gaps, request DEI officer and clearer accountability

Speakers at the Union County Public Schools meeting urged the board to confront long-standing resource disparities across the district, saying state underfunding and uneven private donations worsen achievement gaps and recommending a diversity, equity and inclusion officer to lead equity work.

An unnamed commenter summarized recommendations from a 2021 systems advisory committee and called for the board to "tell the whole story, not just the successes," asking the board to analyze per-pupil spending at struggling schools and to make private donations and booster spending visible in district analyses. "Number 3, hire a diversity equity inclusion officer to ensure the above objectives...are implemented," the commenter said.

Speakers cited specific concerns about student outcomes and private giving. "A whopping 71% of students at Monroe High School are not grade level proficient," the commenter said, and argued that some West Side schools receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in private donations while some East Side schools receive none.

Why it matters: Commenters said the disparities shape public perceptions, voting behavior, and long-term outcomes for students in underfunded neighborhoods. One speaker described the situation as an "educational emergency" and urged the board and administration to publicly advocate against policies that shift public funds to private schools.

Process notes: One parent, Callie Milner, told the board she had filed a formal complaint (details not specified in the transcript). The transcript shows the board has discussed struggling schools in committee meetings (the commenter said some discussions were relegated to a curriculum committee via Zoom). No board action or vote addressing the funding recommendations was recorded in the meeting transcript.