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Dozens of students urge District 128 to keep funding for DEI and affinity groups
Summary
Students and recent student leaders from Vernon Hills and Libertyville high schools told the board during public comment that affinity groups such as the Black Student Union, LASSO, HOSA and others provide critical supports; speakers warned that defunding the groups would harm students’ sense of belonging and future opportunities.
More than two dozen students and several adult speakers addressed the Community High School District 128 Board of Education during the meeting’s public‑comment period, urging continued funding and support for affinity groups and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at Vernon Hills High School and Libertyville High School.
Students described affinity clubs such as the Black Student Union (BSU), Muslim Student Association (MSA), Latinx groups (LASSO), Jewish Student Union (JSU), Asian/Pacific Islander Union and others as places that provide belonging, mentoring, civic education and opportunities that some students said they would not otherwise have. Speakers described activities that included field trips to historically Black colleges and universities, community summits, cultural events and academic supports.
Student Isaiah Collins said BSU "gave me a voice" and described affinity groups as "what DEI is all about," adding that such groups "give students a place to belong, a place to celebrate who they are and where they come from." Other speakers — including Kira Thomas, Emily Chang, Kamara Harrises, Makayla Bowling and several student board representatives — delivered similar descriptions of the groups’ roles and urged the board not to cut funding.
Several students cited concrete programs and benefits: planning an affordable HBCU college trip over Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend (which some students said would be their first trip to a college campus), organizing cultural summits and providing targeted mentorship meetings for underclassmen. Students also referenced the district’s Panorama survey results and said affinity groups help address areas where the survey showed students needed more resources, including responses to discrimination.
Board members did not take action on funding during the meeting. The board president thanked the students for speaking and said the board values hearing student voices. The public‑comment segment was recorded on the meeting minutes and will be part of ongoing discussions about district funding and programming.
This series of public comments followed a broader agenda of recognitions and board business and did not include a formal motion or vote related to DEI funding at this meeting.
