Equity Policy Discussions

Susan Troller:

Deciding which schools should get how many staff members and other resources is a hot topic, and Madison School Board members are tussling over it now.

A majority of board members asked on Monday night to continue the discussion at next week's meeting, despite board President Johnny Winston Jr.'s reluctance to put the issue on the Sept. 25 agenda.

Winston said the equity issue, which has to do with the fair allocation of resources to students and schools, was too broad to be hurried into discussion. He also said it has the potential to be very divisive. When equity formulas are put in place, some schools gain and some schools lose resources, based on the unique needs of their students.

"It's a very complex issue," Winston said.

He is concerned that the board could make hasty changes in how the district's existing policy is applied, creating "ramifications we don't fully understand," he said in an interview today. The district and its financial situation were very different more than a decade ago when the current equity policy was put in place, he said.

Discussion audio and video are available here.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at September 19, 2006 8:39 PM
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