Sartell School District Provides Clarification On Equity Audit

SARTELL -- The Sartell-St. Stephen School District is providing some clarification about to the recent criticism on the equity audit survey.

Back in December 2020, students, staff, families and community members were asked to take a survey, to help the district gain insight into student experiences.

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District officials say information about the surveys were sent to families via emails, weekly announcements and through local media. Teachers were told to note if a parent/guardian opted out of the survey, which some families did. Parents/guardians were also not prohibited from speaking to their children about the survey nor from viewing the survey while their students were taking it.

In a statement to parents Monday evening,  the school board says:

the context that was shared - which may have been misinterpreted by students and/or staff - was that students were asked to answer the questions related to their own personal experience and that their answers should reflect their own personal perceptions and not those of classmates, friends or family members.

Superintendent Jeff Ridlehoover says the district remains committed to provided each and every student with a safe, healthy, academically appropriate learning environment.

This is our collective work and maintaining a productive and engaging partnerships with families is part of this effort. We thank you for your engagement and look forward to continued dialogue as we do this work together.

Ridlehoover says equity audit report is not the end of this process. The school board plans to continue to review the issues raised by families and in the report and work toward developing an action plan with students, staff, parents and the community to address these issues.