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Springfield Township SD board approves three-year equity action plan
Summary
The Springfield Township School District board approved a three-year Equity Action Plan focused on school climate, professional development, student achievement and accessibility after a presentation and committee review.
The Springfield Township School District Board of School Directors on Aug. 19 approved a three-year Equity Action Plan covering the 2025–26 through 2027–28 school years following a presentation from district staff and discussion by board members.
District leaders said the plan, developed after an equity audit with the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium and more than 200 interviews with students, families and staff, sets four strategic goals: improve school climate and belonging, expand professional development aligned to Pennsylvania Department of Education guidance, raise student achievement with targeted supports, and strengthen accessibility and pathways to postsecondary opportunities.
Dr. Lutz, a district staff member who led the audit work, told the board the equity audit emphasized representation in the visual environment and collaboration with families, and identified school climate, consistent application of the code of conduct, professional development and curriculum review as priority areas. “We talked a lot about making sure that our code of conduct is applied fairly and consistently,” Dr. Lutz said during the presentation.
Superintendent Mary Jo Yannikone said the plan reflects broad community input and measurable targets the district will use year to year. “We had been working with Mid Atlantic Equity Consortium… and our goal was for them to come in and complete a full audit of the district so that they would be able to tell us where we were in the state of our equitable practices,” Yannikone said. She asked the board to authorize implementation so the district could begin work with teachers and staff.
Board members who spoke during the meeting praised the plan’s metrics and the district’s recent academic progress. One member noted that the district’s prior equity work and the new plan likely contributed to improved school rankings and better outcomes for students. The board did not record a roll-call vote in the public transcript; the chair called for verbal “ayes” and the motion carried.
The plan identifies recommended practices that include maintaining regular family and student feedback sessions, continuing disaggregated belonging surveys, strengthening MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support), and embedding equitable practices into building-level professional development. The document also references the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s common ground framework as a guidance source for staff training.
The board discussed next steps, including implementation timelines and continued monitoring of disaggregated survey data and course enrollment trends to address participation gaps among subgroups. The district stated it will begin implementing portions of the plan for the 2025–26 school year.
The vote to approve the Equity Action Plan was taken during the regular meeting after the academic affairs committee forwarded the plan to the full board.
