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Board discusses DEI forum and student speakers, urges clearer policies and staff support
Summary
The Saranac Lake Central School District board spent much of its June 5 meeting responding to a community forum where middle-school students spoke about DEI issues. Trustees stressed support for students and staff, asked policy and DEI committees to review state changes, and sought clearer guidance on confidentiality and school procedures.
A majority of the Saranac Lake Central School District Board of Education devoted a substantial portion of its June 5 meeting to a community forum held the previous Monday where middle-school students addressed DEI-related concerns.
A board member said the students “did a stellar job” but voiced concern about placing young students before a large adult audience and asked the policy committee to review draft conduct language and state guidance. “I really do have your back,” the board member told staff, urging support for employees who are learning how to respond to sensitive situations.
Trustees discussed the balance between transparency and privacy. One board member noted legal limits on what the district can disclose about disciplinary outcomes and asked staff to provide the specific state laws and policies so the public can look them up and avoid the perception that the district is hiding information.
Administrators outlined existing procedures for student name and pronoun changes and for identifying safe-space staff. Officials said the district has a GSA and has provided safe-space training to staff, but several trustees said students would benefit from clearer, routine communication about who has volunteered to be a safe-space contact in each building.
Board members and administrators also flagged the emotional nature of recent conversations and urged the community to keep the discussion constructive. One trustee said there are people in the community “actively hostile” to LGBTQ+ students and stressed that the district must protect students while respecting staff privacy and due process.
The board agreed the policy committee should review the draft conduct policy—incorporating state changes issued May 3—and asked the DEI committee to follow up. Trustees noted scheduling constraints over the summer but set near-term committee meetings to move the work forward.
