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Goochland board approves consent slate including policy changes and web opt‑out space amid heated public comment
Summary
The board approved its consent agenda, which members said included removing 'equity' language from policy and minor readability edits to policy KBE; it also approved designating a web space for family opt-out forms. The votes were unanimous; community members reacted with lengthy public comment.
The Goochland County School Board approved its consent agenda, which board members said included readability edits to policy KBE and the removal of specific "equity" language from division materials. The board also approved a motion to designate a space on the district website where families can find forms to opt their children out of certain activities.
A board member explained on the record that the division’s nondiscrimination protections remain in place and that the change removes the department-specific "equity" policy language adopted in 2019; the member said the decision followed review of academic research and practitioner testimony they view as critical of current DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) practices. The board member stated the nondiscrimination statement is still embedded across policies and that removal of the standalone equity language should not change the division's legal obligations.
The consent slate passed on a voice/roll call vote after the board's discussion. A separate motion to create a clear web location for opt-out forms also passed.
Public comment on these items — and on the superintendent action earlier in the meeting — was extensive and sharply divided. Many public commenters said removing the district’s equity language felt like erasing supports for students of color and other marginalized groups and raised concerns about staff morale, teacher retention and prospective recruitment. Other residents said removing specific equity-language documents was warranted and cited concerns about how equity programs had been implemented in recent years.
Votes and immediate outcomes
- Consent agenda (including policy KBE edits and removal of stated equity language): approved as a slate by board vote. - Designated web space for family opt-out forms: approved by board vote.
Ending
Board members said they will publish updated policy text and maintain required nondiscrimination language across policies. The district did not provide a timeline at the meeting for publishing the revised policy text or for posting the opt-out forms; several public commenters asked the board to provide those timelines and to release any fiscal impact estimates tied to the changes.
