July 16, 2020
The Minnetonka School Board and District Administration believe that racial injustice and discrimination have a pervasive presence throughout the U.S. and that our school community is not immune. Students, alumni, staff and parents have been contacting the Minnetonka School Board and District leadership over the past several weeks to bravely share their personal experiences of discrimination because of their race, religion and/or sexual orientation. The stories are deeply moving, and they are concerning. We are listening and agree that there is work we must do to make our school district a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, families and staff.
The Minnetonka School Board is developing a series of measurable, meaningful and intentional action steps for the District to take in rooting out, addressing and working to prevent discrimination in our schools. These steps will be reported in the coming weeks as the School Board’s annual District goals are finalized.
We are committed to action and to making necessary changes. We look forward to partnering with students, parents, staff and community members on this important work. It will not be done in isolation and will require thoughtful consideration. During this current environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our District buildings currently have very limited capacity restrictions; however, we are working on a viable method to gather additional input from all stakeholders.
As this critical planning moves forward, the School Board and District leadership will listen with compassion, examine our own biases and determine what we also can do personally to help to ensure all students, families and staff feel safe and accepted. We will be a part of the solution, to lead by example and to continue to listen and learn.
Katie Becker
Chair, Minnetonka School Board
Dennis L. Peterson
Superintendent of Schools
