Equity, Inclusiveness, and Belonging

Welcome to the home of the Equity, Inclusiveness, and Belonging Committee at Bellefonte Area School District.  This page is intended to provide you with information about our committee and our work as well as a place where you can turn to for different resources and learning opportunities.  

Click here to submit a suggestion to the EIB Committee  

This is a tool that you can use to suggest different equity related topics you want to learn about, let us know if there is something we can improve in, or even just tell us if we did something that worked for you. 

What does Equity mean to us at BASD?

Equity is providing support and resources unique to each person in our school community.  It is both the action of addressing systemic inequities and the understanding that some students may need more than others to fully access a high quality education and grow academically, socially and emotionally.

Vision:

The members of the Bellefonte Area School District envision

• Promoting a collaborative culture which allows all stakeholders to challenge each other in an effort to continually improve the way we meet the diverse needs of our students, staff and community.

• Viewing all District processes through the lens of equity and identifying and addressing systemic inequities.

• Providing an educational environment where all students feel safe and valued and are able to access a quality education without barriers.

• Cultivating a collective and constantly evolving awareness of societal and cultural issues with a focus on how we as an educational institution can respond and be proactive.

Mission/Goals:

The Bellefonte Area School District is committed to ensuring that the values of inclusion, diversity and equity are shared amongst all members of our school community and are ingrained in our daily practice.  The following goals are essential in creating a culture that embraces the individual needs of all stakeholders and is intentionally supportive of their success at all levels.  

• Ensure a culturally responsive curriculum and provide accompanying resources and experiences.

• Increase awareness of inclusion, equity, and diversity in students, district staff, and community and continue to do so on a yearly basis.

• Locate and utilize community resources.

• Eradicate inequities through social justice.

• Make student voice a priority and empower advocacy.

• Regularly collect and analyze achievement, discipline, and demographic data across our district and use it to guide the decision making process. 

• Collect feedback from students, staff, and community members to ensure all perspectives are heard.

• Provide opportunities for community outreach and education pertaining to inclusion, diversity, and equity. 

• Recognize and work to counter all forms of bias.

• Intentionally consider marginalized groups of people in decision-making processes.

• Create support structures for students based on their needs as individuals or groups.

On Tuesday, February 9, 2021, The Bellefonte Area School District Board of Directors affirmed their commitment to the D.E.I. Committee and the work that this group has been tasked with by unanimously passing a Board Resolution.  This Resolution can be seen in it's entirety below.