Oswego School District Board urged to affirm commitment to racial equity, inclusion

An Oswego School District 308 parent called on the district leadership and Board of Education at a recent meeting to do more in creating an inclusive and accepting environment for the district's staff and 16,800 students.

Kijuana Boulrece made her comments during the Sept. 14 Board of Education meeting.

She also questioned the district's outreach efforts over the summer following several protests in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and other Black men and women.

"I look around at this school board, our elected officials and i see many of you whom I elected," Boulrece said. "And I am here today to voice my concern as a parent as well as a civil rights activist. Equity is not a novel idea to District 308. We've been dealing with equality and equity, putting in plans since 2008. Plans were revamped in 2018, and we have seen limited progress.

"Our nation, our state, our county, we were rocked with the actions of George Floyd, not only with that, we were also met with the pandemic. But what was our response as a school district, how can we lead?" she asked.

Boulrece said that she "get(s) a little bit teary-eyed" when she thinks about the district's motto of providing a "world-class education."

"I would hope that we would be a district where all of our students would feel accepted," she continued. "As these things continued in an unprecedented time, I waited to hear a response from School District 308. I waited and I saw (Naperville) District 203 roll out a statement June 25, 2020 indicating their resolution reaffirming District 203's commitment to equity for all students in overcoming systemic racism and ending racial injustice.

"I waited and I saw (Indian Prairie) District 204 make a statement. And I waited. I saw even Joliet make a statement and had not heard a statement from District 308 where all of our children reside...where all of our children want to feel respected, want to feel valued, want to feel cared for."

Boulrece said that she had written letters to school board members and to Superintendent Dr. John Sparlin asking for a commitment statement from the district committing to equity for all students "making this a place where all students, Black students, Hispanic students, students with disabilities, students who have issues yet to be diagnosed, that they feel good in this district.

Boulrece said that she hoped the district would consider issuing such a statement "and a stand against racism and oppressive practices within this education institution."

"Our neighboring districts are doing it, setting best practices, surely we can set best practices," she told the board. "I'm hoping as my children return to an in-school environment, that they're going to be perceived, valued, and know that this is a great place to be."

Superintendent Dr. John Sparlin did issue a statement in early June, addressing the social and emotional ramifications of the deaths of Floyd and others, and the protests and riots that followed.

"It is important, especially at this point, to reaffirm that we believe students should always feel safe, valued, celebrated and respected by their teachers, school personnel, classmates, and community," Sparlin wrote.

It is the job of the district, Sparlin continued, "to build a culture that does not merely tolerate diversity and differences, but rather welcomes and values it. We must support the call out of inequities, acknowledgement of disparities, and support the action for change."

Later at the Sept. 14 meeting, board members highlighted the work being done in with the district's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies, including calling for applications for community members to join the DEI advisory committee to the Board of Education.

The OSD 308 Board of Education will next meet at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 28, in the Community Room of Oswego East High School.