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Students and community urge District 128 to restore DEI coordinator, set diversity hiring targets
Summary
A group of Vernon Hills and Libertyville High School students urged the District 128 board to restore a dedicated diversity and equity coordinator, adopt measurable hiring targets (including a proposed 5% floor for certified African‑American hires), and treat representation as a school‑safety and belonging priority.
Scores of students and community members pressed the Community High School District 128 Board of Education on Feb. 23 for immediate action to shore up diversity, equity and inclusion supports and to adopt measurable hiring targets.
Emilio Chang, a senior at Vernon Hills High School, told trustees that representation is a safety issue and pointed to district discipline data showing students of color suspended at many times the rate of white students: “In 2019, students of color were suspended at nearly seven times the rate of white students,” he said, adding that in 2025 the gap remained at more than six times. Chang said those disparities make students feel unsafe and disconnected and called for the board to invest in recruiting and retaining staff who reflect the student population.
Other student speakers asked for specific accountability measures. Kira Thomas urged the board to require a minimum of 5% certified African‑American hires and to increase that percentage incrementally over four to six years so equity work is not optional. “If increasing Black educators is truly a priority, there must be accountability through clear goals,” Thomas said.
Several speakers described recent staffing changes that they said reduce the district’s capacity to respond to student needs. Charlotte Hill and others urged the board to retain the district’s diversity and equity coordinator role, arguing the position does hands‑on climate and restoration work that goes beyond policy drafting. “Diversity and equity work is safety work,” Hill said, asking trustees to reconsider any plan to eliminate or reassign that role.
Student leaders from the Black Student Union and the Muslim Student Association described the same themes from different perspectives: accountability, representation in staff and sponsors, and clear, measurable goals. One student speaker said the equity coordinator appeared to be transitioning into an instructional‑coach role for staff, and added: “If the equity staff is busy coaching teachers behind closed doors, who is walking around the hallways making sure students of color actually feel seen?”
Parents and community members who spoke backed the students’ message. Ethan Hill, a parent and local business owner, and resident Shondaanda Van Hook described the long‑term benefits of representation and urged the board to treat student testimony as actionable input rather than symbolic remarks.
Board members acknowledged the strength of the testimony and discussed how the forthcoming strategic planning process might provide a vehicle for setting measurable goals. Several trustees said they wanted clear, verifiable outcomes before promoting a district story externally; others said the testimony underscored why measurable goals should be developed quickly.
What’s next: Trustees did not take immediate action during the Feb. 23 meeting. Multiple speakers asked for concrete timelines and public accountability; the board’s strategic‑planning timeline (discussed later in the meeting) begins stakeholder engagement and surveys in March and includes committee meetings in April and May, a process that could be used to develop measurable hiring and accountability targets.
