By Glenn Rolfe

SELBYVILLE — The Indian River School District is canvassing stakeholders through a survey focused on diversity and geared to improve its policies.

Being conducted online through May 16, the survey is a requirement for the district following a Nov. 6, 2019, consent order agreement in Coalition for Education Reform, et. al. v. Indian River School District.

The case centered around IRSD’s George Washington Carver Academy in Frankford. It alleged that the district operated the academy as a segregated “dumping ground” for African American males ages 3 to 18 since the 1990s.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware approved the settlement agreement, which also mandated that the school close in 2020.

In announcing the survey in late April, IRSD stated it is “committed to ensuring that the school district and its school campuses have an inclusive, engaging and supportive environment.”

Surveys can be completed here. The five questionnaires target the following groups: elementary students (grades 4-5), secondary students (grades 6-12), parents, district staff and IRSD community members.

Dr. Judi Brittingham, the district’s director of special education, outlined the survey’s status and intent at the April 25 board of education meeting.

“The purpose, from the district’s perspective, for gathering this data, is to help us understand how future decisions on policies, curriculum and daily student life in our schools can be improved,” she said. “Our hope is that it gives us an actionable data, so that we can continue to make improvements, as we do every year when we look at our strategic plan and make updates for students.”

Part of a yearlong process, IRSD’s Community Advisory Board and the Equity Steering Committee, along with consultant Gwendolyn Miller, developed a draft of the surveys, Dr. Brittingham said.

Information gathered will be used to improve support, policies and practices throughout IR schools.

Following the survey period, a high-level analysis will be prepared and shared with the school board, first in executive session because it is tied to litigation, said Dr. Brittingham.

“Then, we really plan to dive into the data over the summer with our various stakeholder groups,” she added.

The results will be confidential as they come in but will be sortable by school, grade, etc.

“But we did feel strongly that it should be confidential, so people felt safe giving us truthful answers,” said Dr. Brittingham.

Anyone in need of assistance with the survey should contact David Maull at 302-436-1000 or david.maull@irsd.k12.de.us.