Policy committee advances draft equity policy; administrative rules to follow

The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District policy committee reviewed a draft equity policy (Policy 829) during its Nov. 3 meeting and directed staff to prepare administrative regulations that will define implementation steps, reporting timelines and stakeholder engagement.

Committee members said the draft captures district goals to identify systemic barriers and to collect data, but several members asked that the AR include concrete headings, reporting cadence and training plans so the board can oversee implementation. Staff committed to returning with AR language by the next meeting when the policy comes back for a second reading.

Members emphasized the need for the policy to be actionable, not merely aspirational. The committee discussed adding language to ensure resources and curriculum materials reflect "individual differences and cultural uniqueness," and suggested the draft explicitly consider neurodiversity when listing resources and assessments.

Staff and committee members agreed the equity policy should be iterative. The committee suggested piloting implementation guidance, then revisiting the ARs after initial application in schools. The policy will also reference existing data collection practices; staff said they will identify specific datasets and reporting intervals in the AR.

Several members praised the draft as more comprehensive than policies in neighboring districts and urged the board to sustain oversight through regular questions and data requests. The committee also discussed how the district will brief staff and whether key policies should include required in-service training or sign-offs for employees.

Next steps: staff will prepare the AR to accompany Policy 829 for the committee’s next review; the committee requested clearer rollout language, defined reporting intervals and examples of metrics that will be used to monitor implementation.