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Board approves staff trip to 'Footsteps to Freedom' for cultural leadership training
Summary
Trustees authorized up to 27 staff to participate in an eight-day Footsteps to Freedom professional learning trip (July 7–14, 2026) focused on historical sites and equity-focused leadership; staff said participants will present learnings on return.
The Rialto Unified School District board voted to approve staff participation in an eight-day Footsteps to Freedom professional experience scheduled for July 7–14, 2026, authorizing a not-to-exceed expenditure presented in staff materials and identifying cohort selection criteria tied to district equity goals.
The item (F1) will send up to 27 employees — teachers and administrators selected from seven identified campuses — on an itinerary that visits historical sites associated with the Underground Railroad and other civil-rights history in states including Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and New York. Staff described the tour as an empathy-building, curriculum-connected professional experience; the proposal names post-trip expectations including presentations to colleagues and planned leadership or curricular changes intended to support ethnically inclusive instruction.
Trustees and staff discussed selection and accountability. Board members asked how participants were chosen; staff said they used district data on African American student outcomes to identify seven school sites and then selected three to four participants per site plus district administrators. Trustees asked about student representation and whether the program should include more student-facing experiences such as HBCU campus visits; trustees and staff noted prior student trips and the district’s ongoing efforts to expand access.
Motion and vote: Trustees moved and seconded the action; the record shows trustees who spoke voted in favor and the motion passed. Staff materials presented an estimated not-to-exceed figure of $178,000 (slide figure) with Title IV cited as the funding source; however, the formal motion approved participant attendance and post-trip reporting rather than a line-item budget appropriation.
The board did not discuss any contract award or vendor selection tied to the trip; staff said the itinerary varies by year and that participation has been part of district professional development since 2017.
