The David Douglas School Board issued proclamations recognizing LGBTQ+ Pride Month and Juneteenth during its June 12 meeting and heard presentations from staff and students about classroom supports and community activities.

Nut graf: Proclamations formalize district recognition; staff and student presenters described school-based pride clubs, pride-focused classroom materials and Juneteenth read-alouds, and urged continued curriculum and visibility work to support students from historically marginalized groups.

Teacher Andy DuPont, who presented a Pride Month slideshow developed by the district equity team, traced the history of district changes in recent years and said the district's "Every Student Belongs" policy helped create protections for students and staff. DuPont said staff and student affinity groups and at least four pride clubs operate in district schools and that the student survey shows many students identify outside of the straight gender/sexuality categories.

At Ventura Park school, equity chair Marissa Casada and principal Naomi (Principal Smith in transcript) presented a Juneteenth read-aloud using the picture book Juneteenth for Maisie to illustrate classroom approaches for teaching the holiday's history and meanings. The board then read proclamations: Gabriela Catalina Lopez, board chair, proclaimed June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in the district, and she read the Juneteenth proclamation recognizing the historical significance of June 19 and district racial equity commitments.

Ending: Board members said the proclamations and presentations were a milestone for classroom visibility and asked staff to continue aligning curriculum and student voice work with district equity goals.