Canton Public Schools to conduct equity audit
By Mike BergerThe Canton School Committee has voted to perform an independent equity audit in an effort to ensure that all Canton Public School students have access to the curriculum and all programs within the district.
The audit will cost $55,000 and will be paid for with federal COVID funding via the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program.
The idea of an equity audit has been discussed by the committee and its chair, Kristian Merenda, since September. In a presentation to the committee at its May 12 meeting, Assistant Superintendent Sarah Shannon and Student Services Director Dianna Mullen noted that equity audits are new priorities of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents.
Shannon said the goal of the audit is to identify and address “forces at work within the Canton schools that create inequitable outcomes.” She said the audit will look specifically at the school district’s efforts to recruit and retain a diverse workforce, provide professional learning opportunities, and cultivate family and community engagement.
School Superintendent Derek Folan, Shannon and Mullen interviewed three applicants and chose Public Consulting Group to conduct the audit. Shannon said PCG not only met the committee’s price point but also had outstanding references and “clearly articulated the expectations of each phase of the project.”
The timeline for the audit is from August through January of 2023.
In other news from the May 12 meeting:
* CPS administrators met with representatives from the Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA) earlier this month to kick off the 270-day eligibility period for the Galvin Middle School renovation project. During this period, the MSBA will work with school leaders to determine Canton’s “financial and community readiness to enter the MSBA Capital Pipeline.” Stephen Marshall, CPS director of finance and operations, said a special subcommittee will be working with the town’s Building Renovations Committee and needs resident volunteers who have experience in construction, architecture, technology and finance. In addition to the formation of the subcommittee, other key steps during the eligibility period include the submission of various preliminary forms and data, and completion of a detailed feasibility study, which was approved for funding at the May town meeting via a $1.5 million free cash transfer …
See this week’s Citizen for more highlights from the May 12 School Committee meeting. Spring Subscriber Promo: $30 for 1 year or $50 for 2 years for new in-town subscribers. Click here to order your subscription today!
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Posted by Mike Berger
on May 19 2022. Filed under News, Schools.
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