Forest Lake School Board continues adviser funding for clubs supporting students of color

The Forest Lake School Board Thursday unanimously approved funding for groups promoting inclusion and diversity following a strong show of public support.

The 7-0 decision to approve funding for advisers of the groups, often referred to as “affinity groups,” came after community members pushed for continued funding amid fears the fund could be cut.

Had the board voted against funding, the groups would be at risk of losing their advisers, threatening the clubs’ futures. The board plans to discuss the groups more at the March 13 meeting.

The vote comes three weeks after the Lakeville school board voted to remove their “inclusive poster series,” instead prioritizing a focus on academic excellence and “aggressive neutrality.”

Schools and colleges are facing increasing pressure to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion – or DEI – programs or risk losing federal funding following a Feb. 14 federal Department of Education letter that emphasized the need for schools to avoid promoting race-conscious policies and ensure their DEI initiatives do not violate civil rights laws.

Dozens of parents, students, faculty, community members and allies sporting bright red shirts, sweatshirts and jackets in solidarity with the groups piled into the board room, with excess attendees flooding into the halls. Among the clubs discussed were the Hmong and Asian culture clubs, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) Student Leaders, and Black Student Union.

Board members made an exception to regularly scheduled midmonth meetings by allowing public comment. Several speakers expressed their support for affinity organizations and gratitude for the board’s support.

Brianna Ackerman, a longtime teacher at Forest Lake, advocated for adviser funding, encouraging the board to consider the importance of investing in inclusion programs for current and future students.

“I proudly ran two of these affinity groups over the years, and I firmly believe that these groups are an important investment in our schools, diverse communities and future generations of leaders, while also promoting a supportive and inclusive educational environment for everyone,” Ackerman said.

Board members earlier this week included a vote for two paid adviser positions for student organizations supporting LGBTQ students on the agenda. They removed it Monday evening, an apparent reversal of the board’s earlier decision to discuss the positions’ funding.

A Wednesday email sent to Forest Lake Education Association members, a union for the employees and teachers of Forest Lake, notified members of the change and urged them to attend and demonstrate their support for the student organizations by wearing red.

“While we are hopefully optimistic that the board members are no longer seeking to disband these two important groups, we will also continue to monitor the agenda, in order to be prepared to speak to their support if they do add it back before the meeting takes place,” union President Rich Elliot wrote.

Teachers who were interviewed by the Minnesota Star Tribune but who asked not to be named for fear of jeopardizing their jobs expressed concern about the future of clubs representing students of color.

The board meeting followed a Jan. 16 meeting in which three student members of the Black Student Union urged the Forest Lake School Board to fund their program, emphasizing its importance and openness to all students.

“I joined BSU because I needed a place to connect with others, with other minorities, especially in a predominantly white area,” said Esther Dacruz, a sophomore at Forest Lake High School. “My overall experience at BSU has helped me and plenty of other members shape who we are today.”

Jenny O’Donnell, the adviser of BSU for the past seven years, said Thursday the students felt unheard by some of the board members when they spoke on Jan. 16.

“They took offense that they used the word segregation and its suggestion that these students are segregating themselves from the other students,” O’Donnell said. “The word that should be used is celebration, not segregation.”

The vote also came on the heels of two new members joining the board: Tessa Antonsen and Mark Kasel. The other board members are Jill Christenson, Julie Corcoran, Luke Hagglund, Curt Rebelein and Gail Theisen.

President Donald Trump restricted the use of race-conscious programs in educational settings, including those related to DEI, and called for eliminating “radical, anti-American ideologies” from schools in a Jan. 29 presidential executive order.

Steve Massey, the school superintendent, said the district, alongside various state agencies, will monitor federal recommendations and adjust district practices in accordance with Trump’s order.

“The district does not believe that it is the role of districts to counsel or guide students into or through identity related questions or discernments,” Massey said. “We believe that this is the responsibility of students, parents and families, and, if appropriate, medical professionals.”

Christenson, who dressed in red along with Theisen and Corcoran, requested to pull the section regarding the adviser funding and non-curricular assignments from the consent agenda to allow for additional discussion before the vote.

Theisen, emphasizing the role of creating spaces that foster friendships and nurture bonds, said educational equity is the foundation of Forest Lake Area Schools.

“I am a public school board elected member to serve all of the students in our public school,” Theisen said. “And every time they walk through our halls and through our doors, of any of our buildings, they’re all Rangers, and we will treat them as such.”