Board hears parents on DEI, language access and a central 'answers' office to improve family engagement

Board members and district staff presented an update on the district’s DEI structure and audit partnership, and then invited parents and community members for a roundtable to surface what’s working and where the district can improve. The DEI team described a steering/learning/implementation structure and a year-long equity audit with Midwest Plains Equity Assistance Center and MSM Global Consulting; focus groups and surveys were scheduled for September–November with findings to be presented in December–February.

Parents who spoke praised open-house classroom displays and teacher engagement but raised concerns about large variability in teacher expectations, visible labeling of special-education supports at orientation, and uneven access to translated communications. Priscilla Vasquez, the bilingual secretary (who covers two campuses), said language is a primary barrier and asked that the district provide translated notifications and in-person translators for meetings; parents and board members suggested tutorials on Canvas/PowerSchool in multiple languages and student-made videos to help families navigate district systems.

Board members and parents discussed structural proposals to improve family navigation and continuity: creating a small team of consistent adult points of contact (counselor, social worker, assistant principal) to follow students, expanding the district welcome center or creating a central 'answers' office modeled on 2-1-1, exploring paid parent ambassadors or parent resource coordinators, and ensuring counselors are matched to language needs where possible.

Supervising board members asked administration to synthesize tonight’s input and return the topic to a discussion item at the next board meeting. Several board members emphasized the need for timely, holistic solutions rather than incremental, isolated fixes so current students see improvements during the board’s term.