At its Tuesday, February 6, meeting, the Livingston Public Schools Board of Education previewed the school district’s upcoming budget and were presented an addendum on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) audit.
At the start of the meeting, the Board outlined its budget goals. These included undertaking a districtwide security audit and expanding access to high quality programs, services, and resources; the college application process was mentioned as a specific focus. The 2024-25 district budget will include necessary updates to technology and mandated curriculum changes.
Equity Audit
Shelley Zion professor of educational leadership, administration, and research at Rowan University, presented the Board with an addendum on the previously presented DEI audit.
One of the main points the addendum focused on was the district’s special education programs. Some of the concerns highlighted in the report included a lack of programming and support for neurodiverse students, a lack of co-curricular activities, and out-of-district students not feeling included with district communications.
The audit also highlighted a potential retaliatory culture within the district and how this fear of retribution could hinder advocating for a child’s needs. Included was the recommendation that the district shift from relying on previous systems of judgment and develop an “equitable mindset.”
Zion underscored the importance of humanizing conversations and open discussions.
“A lot of this is about shifting how we think about needing to know things, needing to be right, and how we treat each other,” Zion said.
When asked about the audit’s recommendations, Zion stressed importance of defining the things that are, and are not, acceptable.
“We don’t want to perpetuate further harm,” she said. “The art is finding out how people can share different perspectives without being hateful or hurtful.” Superintendent of schools Matthew Block emphasized that the Board’s goal is to “make the district as equitable and inclusive as possible.”
Public Comment
During public comment, Helen Engel said that the district’s special education issues should have been addressed long ago.
“Please don’t sugarcoat this, because these issues are real,” Engel said.
Ted Heilpern asked if the Board had a specific policy on retaliatory behavior.
“If there’s not a specific policy in place, shouldn’t there be one?” he asked.
Ari Gourvitz expressed frustration that the rights of students in special education “seem to be trampled on.” He urged the Board to “look at this and consider a complete ‘changing of the guard,’ which would include Dr. Block and the individuals who handle special education.”
The meeting also included a moment of silence for several former LPS students and a faculty member who had died in recent months. Charles Eugene Bryant, former director of special services for the district, and former students Amanda Nicole Magenheim, and Annie Blair Eisner were recognized.
During the general public comment portion of the meeting,Yael Alexandron expressed her appreciation to Block for his recent visit to Israel and spoke of her friend Doron Steinbrecher, a hostage kidnapped by Hamas.
