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Ballston Spa board hears DEIB update; committee plans circles, cultural calendar
Summary
Principal Johnson presented the DEIB committee’s 2024–25 accomplishments and 2025–26 goals, reporting a corrected staff survey result of 87% who feel a sense of belonging, student panels and plans to expand restorative 'circles' and a cultural celebrations calendar.
Principal Johnson, identified as a co‑chair of the district’s DEIB committee and principal at Malta Avenue, told the Ballston Spa Central School District Board of Education on Aug. 20 that the committee’s work will focus this year on expanding restorative "circles," rolling out a cultural celebrations calendar and compiling a faculty toolkit of resources.
Johnson said the committee administered staff and student surveys to measure sense of belonging. "I believe that number is 87%," Johnson said, correcting an earlier slide; the presentation noted the remaining roughly 13% of surveyed staff do not report a sense of belonging. Student responses varied by level, with elementary results in the high‑to‑mid‑70s and low‑80s for key belonging questions and slightly different patterns at middle and high school levels.
The committee described activities used to deepen survey results, including student panels and circle formats that use a talking piece and shared norms. Johnson said middle school staff have used circles for several years; the district trained building principals over the summer to facilitate circles and plans to use existing SEL blocks at elementary schools for implementation. The board discussed options for broadening the committee while keeping it operationally effective; Johnson and the superintendent described using smaller work groups for discrete tasks such as the cultural‑celebrations calendar.
Board members and the superintendent also said they will support the committee with release days for members to do heavier work on materials and rollout plans. Johnson highlighted a new visual the committee will post in buildings: "Be here, be you, belong." The superintendent and board thanked Johnson and committee members for the work and noted the items will inform fall professional development and district website updates.
Next steps: the district will finalize implementation plans for circles, distribute the visuals and continue to build the faculty toolkit and online resources for the 2025–26 school year.
