County Work

Mount Horeb Area School District was a member of the Dane County Equity Consortium since the inception of the consortium back in the 2018/2019 school year.  Our district leaders attended monthly meetings to learn and collaborate with partner districts to eliminate barriers and create equitable opportunities for all students.   While the consortium is no longer in existence, the learning and partnerships that were formed have laid the foundation for all district work.

Board of Education Work

As stated in the Board of Education’s Mission Statement, the District is “dedicated to nurturing, educating, and challenging all students”.  The word “all” was not in the original development of the mission statement but was added by the Board of Education during the 2020/2021 school year.  This simple but powerful word encompasses the direction of the equity work within the District and has influenced the work of the District’s Strategic Plan.

Additionally, the Board of Education developed and approved an Anti-Racism & Equity Statement prior to the start of the 2020/2021 school year and reaffirmed their commitment to the statement and the work during the December 2021 Board of Education meeting. Based on the Board of Education’s position and statement around equity, the District’s Senior Leadership Team developed a Commitment to Action that was shared with district staff and the wider community via the local newspaper.

District Work

• February 10, 2025 -- Community Feedback Night Supporting the Children and Families - Presentation
• March 6, 2024 -- Community Learning Night  with a Cultural Potluck and Inclusion Workshop focus - Presentation
• March 20, 2023 -- Board of Education reviews and supports Responses to Negative Student Actions, Behaviors, and Language
• December 12, 2022 -- Community Learning Night on District Responses to Discriminatory Student Actions, Behaviors, and Language - Presentation & Video Recording
• April 13, 2022 -- Community Curriculum Learning Night Centered on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion -  Presentation & Video Recording

The District has also partnered with Nehemiah: Center for Urban Leadership Development to respond to the equity needs specific to the students and needs within the Mount Horeb Area School District.  This partnership formally began during the 2020/2021 school year and continues to the present day.  Nehemiah consultants have supported and facilitated the creation of a District Equity Committee which meets monthly and currently has 20-25 members composed of teachers, student services members, support staff, and administrators.  

During the 2021/2022 school year, three District Equity Committee Action Teams were formed: Student and Community Engagement, Policies and Procedures, and Professional Development.  Nehemiah will consult with district leaders and team members to develop action plans and implement the next steps.

• Student and Community Engagement: Listening sessions were provided to students, families, and the greater community to better understand the community and district standard for work around diversity, equity, and inclusion.  This Summary of Community Listening Sessions is the outcome of the first series of listening sessions.  These sessions are slated to continue into the near future. 
• Policies and Procedures: Committee leaders worked to develop an Equitable Decision-Making Framework for administrators, board members, and educators to reflect upon when making decisions in conjunction with making equitable decisions for all students, staff, and families.
• Professional Development: Over 200 staff completed a self-assessment survey on their personal and professional understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.  This information was used to develop a learning scope and sequence for staff.  This committee created a multi-year learning plan while also providing “just in time” learning to address societal events and issues as they present themselves.

Community listening and learning sessions have been provided over the school year.  More information on these presentations and other presentations can be found on our Family Learning Series page. 

Building and Classroom Work

February 12, 2024 -- All staff discussed various hypothetical scenarios that addressed bias or discriminatory student actions, behaviors, or language.   A Responding to Bias Incidents: Strategies to Stop the Behavior document outlining simple, yet effective strategies were provided to staff. 

Pupil Nondiscrimination Self-Evaluation

Wis. Admin. Code § PI 9.06 requires school boards to evaluate the status of nondiscrimination and equality of educational opportunity in the school district at least once every five years and report the results to the Department of Public Instruction.  The findings of this review can be found in this report conducted during the 2023-2024 school year.