Newsletters

October 4, 2023

Dear Holliston Public Schools Community, 

As our student population and community demographics have started to evolve and begin to reflect the world around us, we embrace the challenges and opportunities this brings and recommit to making Holliston Public Schools more equitable and inclusive for HPS students. 

You may recall that during the development of the 2022-2027  HPS Strategic Plan, the strategic planning committee crafted strategic initiatives to promote equity in Holliston Public Schools.  Strategic Initiative 5 Under Arch 2 states, “Utilizing an equity lens, develop data-driven action steps that foster and enrich student, staff, and family experiences and address inequities.” Strategic Initiative 1 Under Arch 3 indicates we will, “Examine and address curricula needs PK-12+” for, “vertical and state alignment, bias, equity, inclusivity, and diversity of all curricula,” as well as, “utilize equity audit data to further augment.

Last year HPS partnered with L&P Educational Services, an educational consulting organization, to objectively and independently examine and analyze our diversity and inclusion policies, procedures, programs, and practices. On Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 6:00 p.m., L&P Educational Services will be presenting the HPS Equity Audit report’s findings to the Holliston School Committee and the community. L&P’s presentation will include the process that it utilized to develop any findings and recommendations that are included in that report.

I would kindly ask that when you listen to the presentation, and ultimately read through the report, that you keep in mind that any recommendations made by L&P should be reviewed solely as recommendations and not as expectations or commitments by HPS or the HSC. The findings and recommendations of the report will be further vetted by the school community and stakeholder groups. Once the report and recommendations are shared, we will be developing an HPS Equity Steering Committe to review these recommendations further and determine any action steps that the school district may wish to take as a result of these recommendations.  Any action steps determined should be aligned with the 2022-2027 HPS Strategic Plan and the Mission, Vision, and Core Values that have already been established. I look forward to continuing to partner with the community and looking at the school district further through an equity lens.

The equity audit report will be shared with the community in a separate communication on the day of the HSC Meeting so that people may be able to review it before or during the meeting. 

Sincerely, 

Susan E. Kustka, Ed.D.