Superintendent denounces racism, announces BRAVO stakeholder group after student walkout

Superintendent Dan Thielen told the board he denounces "racism in all forms" and outlined steps the district will take after conversations with parents and students related to a recent student walkout. He thanked staff and administrators for facilitating dialogue and said the district must pursue both technical fixes and adaptive cultural change.

Thielen announced the creation of BRAVO — Building Relationships and Achieving Vision Together — a multi‑stakeholder group that will include board members and administrators to recommend policy and practice changes. "As a district committed to continuous improvement, we must examine both the technical and adaptive changes needed to make a positive impact on our system," Thielen said. He listed actions already underway, including staff training on recognizing and reporting racially insensitive language and proposed explicit handbook language and consequences for culturally offensive acts.

Thielen said the BRAVO group will pursue measurable goals tied to climate survey results, attendance, discipline and academic progress, and will develop a multi‑year vision plan modeled on the district's recent special education master plan. He said the work aims to "create a more supportive environment where every student feels valued, engaged, and empowered to succeed."

Board members thanked staff and the administrators named by Thielen for their work facilitating conversations and developing the committee. The superintendent also said the district will proactively build a culture "rooted in respect, empathy, accountability, and belonging for all students and staff." The board will receive ongoing updates; the district scheduled future reporting on racially insensitive language and acts as an information item in upcoming meetings.