The Manhattan Elementary District 114 Board approved a bulletin board policy Wednesday that will result in the removal of an existing bulletin board displaying hearts with LGBTQ symbols at Wilson Creek School.
Superintendent Russell Ragon read a statement ahead of the board’s vote saying teachers don’t teach students about gender identity or sexual orientation, so the new policy will align bulletin boards with the curriculum.
“The aim of this policy is to ensure consistency between what is taught in the classrooms and what is displayed publicly, while also avoiding political topics or other items that could be deemed as divisive,” Ragon said.
Ragon said under the policy, the bulletin board that drew about 100 people to the board’s January meeting will come down.
“My belief is that when kids come tomorrow morning the bulletin board will be down,” Ragon said after Wednesday’s meeting.
The board approved the policy in a 6-1 vote, after voting to waive the requirement for a second reading of the policy at another meeting, with board member Cheryl Donovan voting against the policy. Donovan did not publicly state why she voted against the policy and did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The policy states bulletin board materials should be “viewpoint-neutral, age-appropriate, and contribute to a positive learning environment.” Material on bulletin boards should not disrupt the educational process, violate the rights or invade the privacy of others, infringe on trademark or copyright or be defamatory, according to the policy.
Bulletin boards can be used for announcing school and district events, displaying student work, posting information about school or district business, employment vacancies and legal notices. The policy states bulletin boards can also include “information in support of the district’s curriculum, and in furtherance of the content, and goals, and policies stated therein.”
The bulletin board at Wilson Creek School in Manhattan, which serves preschool through second grade students, has 12 hearts on it, two that read “open hearts” and “open minds” and 10 hearts with different colors. The display includes one heart with a rainbow design and a design with a white stripe and pink and blue stripes on both sides.
A rainbow flag is a symbol of the LGBTQ community, while the transgender pride flag has a white stripe with light pink and blue stripes on either side.
“We’d like to emphasize that while these symbols are present, they are not a part of classroom content, teachings, or discussions. However, our dedicated teachers and staff foster an environment of acceptance where every student feels welcomed and celebrated,” Ragon said.
The district administration supports teachers’ “commitment to fostering an environment that is inclusive, supportive, and safe,” Ragon said.
Gabriella Barraco, who has children in the district, opposed the bulletin board saying it focuses on “symbols of division that are being employed to signify unity.”
Jason Sommerfeld, who has two children who attend Wilson Creek School, said the bulletin board should be removed.
“Promoting this agenda with kids is simply disgusting. An adult that takes pride in pushing it themselves is disgusting,” Sommerfeld said.
Kate Galgan, who spoke in favor of the bulletin board in January, said Thursday she heard through friends the bulletin board was taken down and that other teachers took down their bulletin boards in solidarity.
Galgan said she read over the policy and did not understand how it applied to the bulletin board. The district has a policy for social and emotional learning within the curriculum, she said, and the bulletin board addresses that.
“I don’t understand why it’s in violation, it’s part of the curriculum,” Galgan said. “I don’t see how this new policy results in the bulletin board coming down.”
Board President Scott Mancke said teachers work hard “to support our students, to keep them safe and work hard to include them everyday.”
“We should give our support and appreciation for what they do,” Mancke said.
akukulka@chicagotribune.com
